


Children in Towers

by LexyPro



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe-2000s age, Attempted Sexual Assault, Because I like Ilvermony, DarkLady!Bellatrix, F/F, Female Harry Potter, Good Slytherins, Harry Potter is adopted, Harry Potter was Raised by Other(s), Ilvermony takes part in a four way Wizard tournament, Independent Harry Potter, Independent!Bellatrix, Liberties Taken With Canon Magic, Magic Dudley, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Rich Harry Potter, Slytherin Harry Potter, but they're not very good at it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2020-05-18 09:50:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 22
Words: 51,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19332127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexyPro/pseuds/LexyPro
Summary: Heather Carlisle grew up with busy parents and a sister that's always been at her side for schemes and mischief.  The two girls were shut away in their great aunt's summer home when they got their Hogwarts letters.  At fourteen the two are broken out by a group called the Order of the Phoenix and Heather is told she's Harriet Potter,the girl who lived. But she's not sure how she feels about the Order's leader- Albus Dumbledore.





	1. Chapter 1

Jeffrey and Maureen Carlisle _ruined_ the Dursleys after they found a dusty little girl living in the cupboard under the stairs at a dinner party. The magazines that Petunia so loved for gossip about other people reported the whole trial and the telly talk shows and internet articles buzzed with comments about what absolute monsters they were - shoving their orphaned niece in a cupboard to be forgotten.  The respectability they worked so hard to cultivate was destroyed.

But for all the talk of it, little Heather Carlisle was barely able to remember the time she lived in that cupboard.  At most she recalled nights when she cried , frightened from bad dreams but nobody came. However more fresh in her mind now was the nannies, who paid more attention and time with her and her new sister than their parents ever did, but came and went as they were hired and fired. Or quit.

Heather Carlisle grew up in a large house with nice clothes, getting half as many gifts as Dudley Dursley’s parents would have spoiled him with had they not lost everything. What she didn’t get though, was nearly enough time or attention from her parents.  The Carsliles always had to work. When they bothered to make up for it they got her and her sister Chase nice things Heather learned quickly to not count on her parents for much. She had herself and Chase to keep her company.

Heather could just pass as the Carlisle’s daughter.  She had hair that was flaming red, freckles across her face and fierce hazel eyes that seemed to pierce when she glared down bullies.She wore thin framed fashionable glasses, a bit pricey but far from too much for her parents. Heather was also rather skinny despite being well fed enough. She also had a lightning bolt shaped scar on her forehead, which she thought was awesome looking and resented her parents insisting on covering it up with makeup.

Her sister Chase was blonde and blue eyed with  lighter freckles across her nose. She was also a bit bigger in her size. She was fond of food but didn’t eat too much of it.  Perhaps she was just built that way. Still she often got mocked by classmates for being ‘fat’. But Heather was often there to stand up to the bullies.  Children tried mocking her for being adopted but it rolled right off her shoulders. Her parents had chosen to take her in. Though it would be nice if they chose to spend more time as well.

The girls had one little secret, they had some kind of powers that came out when they felt extreme emotions of distress or anger.  As they discovered them, Heather and Chase worked together to learn to use them for other things like playing with dolls.

Their shared room was a city of dollhouses and dolls with a football belonging to Heather in one corner. They had a telly of their own with a playstation.  Chase’s side of the room was full of pink and dolls, and once she got older, pictures of boy bands. Heather’s was more practical, perhaps a bit sporty.

When both girls were on the verge of turning eleven years old they each got a letter written in green ink that specified their room and on the other side had a wax seal with a coat of arms.  Heather’s was addressed to Ms. Harriet Potter for some reason. Both girls were eager to open them and read them as they walked inside.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a letter-”

“From a school of witchcraft”

Their parents were absolutely freaked out and told the girls to go up to their room and that the letters were a prank.When the girls were up in their room they discussed whether this Hogwarts even existed.

"How is anyone going to hide a giant school of magic?"

"With _magic_ "

"That sounds like it'd take a lot of magic"

Heather was skeptical. It sounded too good to be true.

In the days that followed they got more and it became clear that whatever Hogwarts was, it wouldn’t be ignored.  The Carlisles eventually gave in and dialed up some odd relatives on Maureen’s side.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Heather and Chase stood with many suitcases in front of a huge countryside house with a kind of tower that had a window. Their new guardian was a frumpy looking woman with frizzy red hair, a patched denim skirt and many freckles. Freckles that she showed rather than hide with make up to give that professional sharp lawyer-y look.

“So...these are your girls then?”The woman asked.

“Yes, Heather and Chase” Maureen Carslile said shortly.

“What kind of name is Chase for a girl?” Aggie McKinnon tutted.  “These ‘modern’ names are just so confusing…” She went on about how giving a girl a boys name would confuse her.  

Heather wasn’t sure how she felt about the old lady.  She seemed pretty close minded so far.

“Do you have electricity?” Chase asked. “We have a telly”

“Really Maureen?” Aggie shook her head. “I don’t have any of those plugs, you'll have to make do without.  Use your imagination”

“Then what are we going to do with the computer?” Chase sighed.

“Oh Maureen, you’ve already spoiled these girls rotten”  Heather definitely didn’t like old Miss McKinnon much.

The woman heaved a sigh. “I’ll keep them for you if it’ll get old Albus to leave you alone with his school and his ruddy Order. Come on you two, your room is up in the tower.”

\-----

When Ms McKinnon or ‘Aunt Aggie’ said ‘keep’ she apparently meant it. As in “keep you in a tower room and shut you away from the world”. Their parents were paying off Maureen’s witch aunt to shut away their children to keep them from this Hogwarts. Heather had no trouble helping Chase cause a bit of mischief from time to time.  

The two raised up such a fuss about the lack of electricity that Aunt Aggie finally had some people come out and install it in the tower, swearing she was charging their parents extra for it. Chase and Heather didn’t mind, their parents paid extra to keep them occupied regularly.  

While the tower was vast and had a fair few stories, the tower was all they had access to.  The rest of the house belonged to their aunt who didn’t like messy children disturbing her sitting rooms.  Food was sent up to them and even Heather had to grudgingly admit that their great aunt could make a very good meal.

One afternoon the girls discovered who was sending up their meals.  Elf like creatures wearing frilly pillowcases for clothing.

“Penny is a house elf, young mistress.  Penny is pleased to be meeting you but Penny must go now. Is work to be done.”  With a crack she disappeared.

“Wow , do they even use pronouns...weird” Chase sommented.

“Figures Old Ms Aggie has elves working for her as servants” . Heather said

“So does Father Christmas”  Chase pointed out.

“But I bet he pays his with toys”

“Right… and hot cocoa, Come on let’s play computer games”  Chase bounced excitedly leading Heather away to the computer.

Days and weeks passed and before the girls knew it, it was snowing outside. When Christmas came around around their parents sent large impressive toys, perhaps to make up for keeping them away in a tower. As springtime came, the girls were offered chores to alleviate their boredom, to which they both were enthusiastic to do when boredom struck.  Heather mostly. She hated doing nothing.

Heather found the magical books Aunt Aggie left them very fascinating and read everything she could get her hands on. Sometimes Chase would listen to Heather read aloud from history books on magical society.  The only history book they didn’t get was Hogwarts: A History

“I don’t want you two gettin flights of fancy about going to Hogwarts.  You’re not going with that manipulative old goat teaching” She always said.  

Chase and Heather gained more control over their magic as they practiced from the books they were given.  They didn’t get wands for quite a while until they were at least thirteen years old.

“It’s quite unusual for a wizard or witch to get a wand of their own so late.  Were you not able to afford one?” The unusual shopkeeper asked when they were taken out to get theirs.

“No, I just believe a young witch should be a little older before handling a wand.  Eleven? They’re still children.”

Chase didn’t take long to find a wand for. Her.  Sycamore, unicorn hair, 10 inches.

However Heather had to wait and try many wands before finding the one for her.  The shopkeeper kept murmering “Curious”when it matched her.

“I was told that this wand might best suit another” Ollivander said.

“Well it seems to match Heather just fine.” Aggie said indignantly.

“Yes, yes.. Now..14 galleons”

Once they left Aggie couldn’t stop muttering about how “odd” the shopkeeper was. But Heather was busy admiring her wand.  As she passed she noticed a wanted poster for a mad looking wizard. “Who’s that?”

Aggie pushed her along. “Never you mind, Heather.  Always asking questions.”

The eyes of the wizard had already burned in Heather’s mind. That night she dreamt of the wizard outside their window breaking in.


	3. Chapter 3

Heather awoke from a strange dream about an old man confronting a creepy zombie baby thing talking to a man and killing another,older man who they called a muggle. She felt as if the scar on her head was burning with pain. 

“Ugh ow”  she shook her head, clapping a hand to her scar.  But as soon as the pain came it faded quickly away.

“”Mmmmn?” Chase murmured half awake.

“Oh.. it’s nothing Chase, just a weird dream.”  Heather yawned, “and my scar.”

“Oh...huh...weird. You sure you’re okay?”  

“ _ Yes _ ”

Chase didn’t need much convincing to go back to sleep.  Heather lay awake and plucked a magic book off the shelf, and practiced her spells under the covers.  

\-----

The girls were nearing fourteen now, and Heather had grown more studious and curious to deal with her boredom.  She practiced spells and read magic books, and occasionally played games on the computer. Chase had abandoned her dolls and developed a shopping habit that left packages on the doorstep of the cottage they stayed at frequently. She often used Heather’s owl, Hedwig to buy things out of  _ Magic Miss _ and  _ Witch Weekly.  _

“You should have gotten your own owl you know”

“...I know..but...kittens!” She had gotten a tortoiseshell kneazle kitten she called Jewel.  

“What if I were to no longer let you use Hedwig?” Heather asked amused.

“I suppose I’d have to have two pets then.”  Chase said working on ‘enhancing’ another bit of clothing to her tastes. “I’m sure Aggie would let me if the alternative were using her owl.”  

Their parents spoiled them from afar by giving them tons of pocket money that Aunt Aggie would have converted to wizard money and let them shop in Diagon Alley with about once a month. Heather knew that giving them excessive money was her parents’ way of apologizing for the current situation they were in, and she milked every bit of it she could. Heather often bought books and materials for doing magic.  

She had a collapsible cauldron that was often brewing potions that she had gotten recipes for out of Chase’s magazines. 

Heather’s hair was now growing from a red to an auburn, and her hazel eyes often sparkled with mischief behind stylish glasses.   She still had more freckles than Chase mostly from going out in the garden and flying,which Aunt Aggie let her do as long as she didn’t go far.  Sometimes Chase tossed golf balls for her to catch out their bedroom window. She was still as thin and knobby kneed as always, she had read that she had the right build for a seeker. 

Heather had gotten a Firebolt mysteriously last Christmas and Aunt Aggie had it sent to be examined before letting her keep it.  

Chase had used magic to dye the ends of her shoulder length blonde hair a hot electric neon pink and wore glasses with some brightly colored frames she had bought from some muggle girls’ store and transferred her lenses to.  She had a curvy, round and busty body with a chest that was probably twice the size of Heather’s. She used magic to enhance her clothes to fit her sense of fashion. She was rather skilled at charms and with Heather’s help, could brew a good potion. 

There was a wizard wireless on the windowsill that both of them used to listen to the Weird Sisters and a few other magical music groups. 

“I mean, what are you going to use Hedwig to buy? More schoolbooks?” By now Heather had a huge selection of books on various aspects of magic.

“You don’t seem to mind my collection when it taught you the embellishment charm you use all the time. Or the swapping spell you used for your glasses.”

Chase didn’t answer, instead she leaned over toward the stairs. “Shhh, I think I hear Aggie leaving.”

“Did you have anything in mind?”

“Going down and getting some dessert” Heather sighed.

 “Oh, Chase.” Chase hurried down the stairs as Heather returned to reading her book and occasionally stirring a potion she had brewed. 

It wasn’t until she heard voices and the sound of a bowl clattering to the floor that Heather jumped up, grabbed her wand and hurried down the stairs with a spell on the tip of her tongue. 

\----

“Whoa easy now” A man in patched clothes with a wand in his own hand said.  A group of wizards and witches stood in the doorway as Heather pointed her wand at them firing off a stunning spell. It knocked one of them back. 

“Harriet Potter, you look so much like your mother.”

“....my name is Heather Carlisle.”  Heather said, “why are you in our house?”

“To rescue you of course. You’ve missed three years of Hogwarts.” The wizard who had recognized Heather said. “How long have you been in this cottage?”

“Since we were eleven” Chase answered, “You’re going to take us to Hogwarts?”

“Well first we’re going to take you to stay with some good friends.”

“...who are these friends?” Heather had lowered her wand but still felt on edge.

“They’re a family with some children your age , attending Hogwarts.” Heather was so torn. One one hand she still wasn’t sure she trusted these people, on the other , she was dying to go to Hogwarts. Regardless of what Aunt Aggie said about the Headmaster.  “My name is Remus Lupin, Heather, I knew your parents. Your birth parents.”

“Did _ they  _ leave me with the people who shut me in a closet?” Heather asked the question that she had been dying to know.

“Merlin’s beard”  A few people murmured.  

“No . I’m very sorry you went through that Heather, Dumbledore hoped that your mother’s blood would protect you if you were left with her blood relative”

“My mum’s blood relative was a bitch.  Didn’t work out so well” A few people looked surprised but Heather didn’t care. It was the truth.

“It’s up to you Heather.  Do you and-”

“Chase.  I’m her sister” Chase said , moving to Heather protectively. 

“Do you and your sister want to come with us?  Or stay here” Remus Lupin asked. Heather thought about it. As much as she almost wanted to spite the person who had left her with her horrible aunt, she was dying to attend Hogwarts, as was Chase. She didn’t know how much longer she could stand being locked away in the cottage tower.

“....just because I’m going with you doesn’t mean I fully trust you yet” she said in resignation. 


	4. Chapter 4

The group of wizards helped them pack all their things, some of them surprised at the number of magical books that Heather had, as well as magical materials.  They found an unused magical suitcase in one of Aggie’s closets and packed all of the girls’ necessary things in there. Heather carried Hedwig’s cage while Chase carried Jewel’s carrying case, the young kneazle soundly sleeping inside.  

Remus pulled out a wooden stirring spoon and instructed both girls to hold on. “It’s a portkey, it will take us to the Weasleys’ house.

Once she and her sister grabbed the Portkey , Heather felt something like a hook pulling at her belly button and then a sensation like being forced through a tiny straw before landing in the grass in front of a ridiculously tall and odd looking house. 

“Ew I think I’m going to vomit” Chase complained, pushing her glasses back on her face. 

“That’s portkey travel.” Remus chuckled, helping Heather up. Several of the wizards and witches from the group popped into visibility around them. Heather grabbed their trunk and followed Lupin and the others to the house.  

Lupin knocked at the door and a large red-headed woman answered it, with a red-headed and freckled girl a little younger than Heather and Chase followed behind, staring in awe at Heather.  

“Hello Remus!  Come in.” This woman seemed a lot nicer than Aggie. “Ginny dear give them some room.”  

She led them into the kitchen where several more red-headed boys were, along with a girl with bushy brown hair and slightly large front teeth. “You can stay with Ginny and Hermione, I’m sure they’ll be happy to have some more girls around.”

“This is Harr-Heather Potter and her sister-” Heather didn’t bother correcting this time.. They got the first name right.

“Chase.”  

“Ron and Hermione here are in your year.”  Mrs. Weasley said. The youngest of the boys looked over them. 

“You’re going to be in Gryffindor, right?”

“I don’t know what house I’m going to be in.”  

“Hermione, if you don’t mind, we’re going to have to borrow your memories so Heather and Chase can catch up.”  Remus said. 

“Borrow a memory?” Chase asked. “How do you borrow memories?”

Heather knew a little bit of how memories were kept in Pensives but was never sure how one extracted them.

“Let me show you”  Remus took out a couple of bottles and instructed the bushy haired girl to recall her first year.  As she did he held a wand to her temple and extracted a silvery looking slime into the bottle. He repeated the process for the second and third year and by then the bottles were quite full.  

“How come nobody used my memories?” Ron Weasley muttered. 

“Because you hardly paid attention in most classes” Hermione said. Mrs. Weasley lended Remus a bowl and in another , quieter room, he used his wand to dip in the bottles. “You’re going to want to rest after this. It’s quite a bit of information.” He guided the silvery goo in their ear once at a time, and both Heather and Chase’s minds were flooded with memories of three years worth of lessons at Hogwarts.  

Right after,  Hermione and Ginny showed them to their rooms where a couple of extra beds were set up. 

\----

Heather must have napped for hours dreaming about Hogwarts and walking through corridors, being bullied by Professor Snape (what a git!) , visiting Hagrid, and walking about the grounds. The school was just as wonderful and magical as she always imagined. She thought  of studying by the great lake, and astronomy class under the stars.

But Heather didn’t let herself get too excited  She had some bones to pick with the headmaster and this Snape guy seemed like a total git who hated his students. Well except for the Slytherins. She would also have to ask Dumbledore why on earth he hired such a bully and ineffective teacher. She got the feeling from Hermione’s memories that more students were being terrorized than learning. Especially that poor Neville kid. 

As she woke up, the wheels in her head were turning , thinking about the most advantageous house to be in. Gryffindor was very friendly and open, perhaps too much so. Same with Hufflepuff, it would be easy to let things slip there.  

Ravenclaw seemed to have a fierce undercurrent of competitiveness, always trying to get the highest grades.  Heather felt like a focus on grades and competing with them was a recipe for getting burnt out within the first two months of school. Ravenclaw would be stifling and she wanted to learn her own way.Ravenclaw wouldn’t do.  

Heather was forced to conclude that the most advantageous house was Slytherin. With how Snape favored Slytherin, as much as she hated to use that, Heather could tell Snape’s favoritism and apparent need for Slytherin to win the house cup could be used against him. Not to mention everyone in Slytherin seemed so secretive.  Thus it would be easier to keep her own secrets.

However the downside was she wouldn’t have the trust of the Weasleys and possibly Hermione.  Oh well. If she was going to lose their trust so easily, might as well not get too close.

“Hey Heather! Mrs. Weasley made dinner”  Chase poked in. “it’s really fantastic.”

“Coming”  Heather had decided that she would try and gun for Slytherin.

\----

“So, good news” Mrs. Weasley started.  “Our Headmaster was kind enough to pay for you girls to join everyone at the Quidditch World Cup.”

Heather perked up but then cursed inwardly. She didn’t like Dumbledore, or at least she didn’t want to.  But...it would not be wise to share that information with a bunch of people who were in his little group. At least not _yet_. 

“That sounds great.”  Heather said. “I have to be sure to thank him!” ‘ _Quit trying to make me like you_ ’ she thought. Buying her nice things didn’t absolve her parents and it certainly won’t absolve Dumbledore..

“Yeah Heather loves Quidditch,  She read the whole book about it in one night.” Chase said. She shrugged. “I find it fun to watch but not much else.”

“This is THE game of the season” and thus  Ron went off on a long spiel about the teams and scores and famous players, at least until someone else took control of the conversation. Heather listened idly.  So far she found Ron alright but slightly irritating at times.

When listening to him bicker with Hermione that got moved up to “just plain irritating.”

\---

The time until the World Cup got closer and closer, Heather spent as much time as she could by herself, occasionally with the Weasley daughter, Ginny. She was pretty all right, and Heather hoped that if she were to get the house she wanted , Ginny could see past it. 

Chase got on well with Ginny as well, and somewhat with Hermione. She occasionally argued with Ron about things.  At one point he made the mistake of saying that Chase just didn’t like Quidditch because she was a girl, which got the ire of both Heather and Ginny.  

Heather wasn’t going to be friends with Ron anytime soon. She bonded with Ginny over talking about what a prat he could be. 

On the night before the World Cup Heather retired early and she dreamt of the strange zombie baby thing talking with it’s caretaker, a man called Crouch Jr. She woke up with her scar burning. 

“ _Owww_ ”  Heather tried to stay quiet.

“Heather?” Chase murmured sleepily.

“I’m fine, go back to sleep”

“kay”Chase rolled back over and went back to sleep.

They were woken up shortly after at the crack of dawn.  Heather was rather glad she went to bed early but still felt it was unnatural to wake up at this time of day. She kept quiet as they got dressed and trekked out into the grassy hills, lest she lose her short temper and snap at anyone.

This was tested when they met up with an Amos Diggory and his son .  The elder Diggory couldn’t stop gawking at her , asking the obvious (“so this is her, the Girl Who Lived?”) and gawking at her forehead. Maybe her parents had good reason for hiding her scar. 

Chase was busy fawning over Diggory’s son, a very handsome boy- for anyone who cared. Heather didn’t. Boys never excited her much. She’d much rather admire a pretty girl.  She supposed that meant she was gay. She could live with that.

Mr. Weasley hurried them along and they all went to the top of a hill where there was an old boot they were all instructed to hold on to.

Oh no, not _another_ Portkey.


	5. Chapter 5

The Portkey was as pleasant as usual- that is, not at all.  

Once Heather got up, having to untangle herself from her sister, she noticed a large stretch of misty moor, with two men who seemed to have no idea how to dress like muggles.  Mr. Weasley made small talk as he handed over the old boot. One of the wizards, Basil, told both Mr. Weasley and Mr. Diggory, where their campsite was. 

Finally they were free of Diggory and his prettyboy son. 

It was somewhat difficult making it through the misty moor, Heather was so fed up she was tempted to just shine a light through it all.  

In fact judging by Mr. Weasley’s protest and gently admonishing Chase, her sister had decided to do just that. “We don’t want to be seen doing magic”

“Aww”

They eventually made it to a stone cottage and Heather could see tons of tents out , and maybe a few RVs.  A man, a muggle judging by the fact he could dress as one properly , stood looking over them all. This must be the site manager that Basil had mentioned. 

“Morning” said Mr. Weasley in an all-too-perky morning person voice. 

“Morning”  said the muggle man.

“Would you be Mr. Roberts?”

“Aye I would” Mr. Roberts said, “and who would you be?”

“Weasley - two tents, booked a couple of days ago?"

"Aye," said Mr. Roberts, consulting a list tacked to the door. "You've got a space up by the wood there. Just the one night?" "That's it," said Mr. Weasley. "You'll be paying now, then?" said Mr. Roberts.

"Ah - right - certainly -" said Mr. Weasley. He retreated a short distance from the cottage and beckoned Heather, Hermione and Chase.”Help me, please”

Heather , Hermione and Chase guided Mr. Weasley in choosing the right bills while Heather noticed the site manager trying to lean in and catch every word. Rude much?

"You foreign?" said Mr. Roberts as Mr. Weasley returned with the correct notes.

 "Foreign?" repeated Mr. Weasley, puzzled. 

"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," said Mr. Roberts, scrutinizing Mr. Weasley closely. "I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago." 

"Did you really?" said Mr. Weasley nervously. Mr. Roberts rummaged around in a tin for some change. 

"Never been this crowded," he said suddenly, looking out over the misty field again. "Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up...."

 "Is that right?" said Mr. Weasley, his hand held out for his change, but Mr. Roberts didn't give it to him.

 "Aye," he said thoughtfully. "People from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdos, you know? There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and a poncho." 

"Shouldn't he?" said Mr. Weasley anxiously

 "It's like some sort of... I dunno ... like some sort of rally," said Mr. Roberts. "They all seem to know each other. Like a big party." At that moment, a wizard in plus-fours appeared out of thin air next to Mr. Roberts's front door.

 "Obliviate!" he said sharply, pointing his wand at Mr. Roberts. Heather was a little shocked. 

Instantly, Mr. Roberts's eyes slid out of focus, his brows unknitted, and a took of dreamy unconcern fell over his face. Heather was shocked and a little unnerved.

“What did they do to him?” she asked.

“Oh they just modified his memory.” That didn’t make it better.

“Do wizards usually just go around messing with people’ minds?” Heather asked, disturbed.

“It’s how they keep muggles from finding out about us” Hermione said.

“By messing with their minds?”

“Yeah can’t they get brain damage or something from that”

“It’s just a little thing, the only way any damage could happen is a miscast memory charm”

"A map of the campsite for you," Mr. Roberts said placidly to Mr. Weasley. "And your change." 

"Thanks very much," said Mr. Weasley. It took Heather quite some time to shake off how troubled it made her. The other wizard’s comments made her more troubled.

 "Been having a lot of trouble with him. Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not a worry about antiMuggle security Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur."

With a crack he disapperated.

“ _That many memory charms can’t be good for anyone._ ” Heather thought.  Just how messed up was the magical world anyway?

"I thought Mr. Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports," said Ginny, looking surprised. "He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn't he?"

 "He should," said Mr. Weasley, smiling, and leading them through the gates into the campsite, "but Ludo's always been a bit ... well . . . lax about security. You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic head of the sports department though. He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had."

‘ _He sounds like a bit of a prat_ ’ Heather thought. But she kept it to herself. 

They trudged up the misty field between long rows of tents. Most looked almost ordinary; their owners had clearly tried to make them as Muggle-like as possible, but had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bellpulls, or weather vanes. However, here and there was a tent so obviously magical that it was clear why Mr. Roberts was getting suspicious. Halfway up the field stood an extravagant confection of striped silk like a miniature palace, with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance.  Heather gave a snort and rolled her eyes.

 A little farther on they passed a tent that had three floors and several turrets; and a short way beyond that was a tent that had a front garden attached, complete with birdbath, sundial, and fountain.

‘ _You’ve got to be joking_ ’ Heather almost wanted to slap her face to her palm.  Were wizards all this obvious and idiotic?

They passed an RV that had two stories on it.  

"Always the same," said Mr. Weasley, smiling. "We can't resist showing off when we get together. Ah, here we are, look, this is us." 

‘ _That’s a nice way of putting it_ ’

They had reached the very edge of the wood at the top of the field, and here was an empty space, with a small sign hammered into the ground that read WEEZLY.

“They spelled your name wrong” Chase remarked.

“Oh it’s no matter.” Mr. Weasley waved it off. 

"Couldn't have a better spot!" he said happily. "The field is just on the other side of the wood there, we're as close as we could be." He hoisted his backpack from his shoulders. "Right," he said excitedly, "no magic allowed, strictly speaking, not when we're out in these numbers on Muggle land. We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too difficult.... Muggles do it all the time.... now where do you reckon we should start?"

Heather and Chase had gone to summer camp but it was a camp with cabins rather than tents.  They worked with Hermione and Ginny to set the tent up. Mr. Weasley was more of a hindrance than a help, because he got thoroughly overexcited when it came to using the mallet.

They took quite a bit but they finally managed to set up two two-man tents.

As they stood back to admire their handiwork Heather noticed a bit of a problem.  Once some of the other Weasley brothers arrived there would be far more than a couple of two man tents would fit. 

“Soooo which one of us is sleeping on the ground?” Chase asked, looking over the two tents.

“Oh no need for that, we’ll be a bit cramped but we’ll all fit” Mr. Weasley said getting to his knees and crawling in the tent.  Heather leaned down and peeked in, and her jaw dropped at what she saw. 

Inside was what looked like an old-fashioned, three room flat, complete with bathroom and kitchen. Oddly enough, it was furnished in exactly the same sort of style as Aunt Aggie’s: There were crocheted covers on the mismatched chairs and  the place reeked of cats.  

"Well, it's not for long," said Mr. Weasley, mopping his bald patch with a handkerchief and peering in at the four bunk beds that stood in the bedroom. I borrowed this from Perkins at the office. Doesn't camp much anymore, poor fellow, he's got lumbago."

Heather was in sheer awe of how big the place was and how small it looked on the inside.  She found herself in awe of magic once again.

He picked up the dusty kettle and peered inside it. "We'll need water.... "

“There's a tap marked on this map the Muggle gave us," said Ron, who had followed Heather inside the tent and seemed completely unimpressed by its extraordinary inner proportions. "It's on the other side of the field."

“He had a name” Heather said quietly, though it seemed nobody had heard

 "Well, why don't you all go and get us some water then" - Mr. Weasley handed over the kettle and a couple of saucepans - "and the rest of us will get some wood for a fire?"

 "But we've got an oven," said Ron. "Why can't we just -"

 "Ron, anti-Muggle security!" said Mr. Weasley, his face shining with anticipation. "When real Muggles camp, they cook on fires outdoors. I've seen them at it!" 

 _‘I swear they talk about muggles like they’re a different species_ ’ Heather thought. Did wizards really not know how to exist without throwing magic at every problem?

After looking through the girls’ tent, which lacked the smell of cats, the group of teens took off. As the sun rose and the mist lifted it was plain to see just how _big_ the city of tents was. Wizards and witches from all over were here to see the World Cup. 

Other campers were beginning to wake up, starting with the families with small children.  A tiny boy poked a slug with a wand, probably taken from one of his parents, until it was the size of a salami.As they passed him, his mother came out scolding him for playing with his father’s wand, while he cried over the now burst slug.  Two little girls rode around on broomsticks that hovered just a bit over the ground.

A Ministry wizard walked by them muttering. “In broad daylight. Parents having a lie in I suppose-”

Here and there adult wizards and witches were emerging from their tents and starting to cook breakfast. Some, with furtive looks around them, conjured fires with their wands; others were striking matches with dubious looks on their faces, as though sure this couldn't work.   Three African wizards sat in serious conversation, all of them wearing long white robes and roasting what looked like a rabbit on a bright purple fire, while a group of middle-aged American witches sat gossiping happily beneath a spangled banner stretched between their tents that read: THE SALEM WITCHES' INSTITUTE. 

Nearby was a tent , the kind Heather had seen at fairs and festivals run by demonstrators and craftspeople selling their wares,  A boy with light sandy blond hair and a jacket full of patches around his waist stood behind a table full of bottles of some kind of cider.With him was a boy with light brown skin and bright fire red hair under a backwards cap and a camouflage patterned jacket.

“Hey y’all, We got apple cider here!  For if ya need a cold drink” The fire haired boy called out with a very drawling southern American accent.

“Cider!  Y-you want cider?” His blond companion didn’t seem as sure of himself.

Above them was a banner with kind of crest reading ‘Ilvermony School of Witchcraft and Wizardry   

“Ooh I’ve read about Ilvermony.  It’s the American wizarding school!” Hermione said. “It’s located in Massachusetts.” 

“And where is that?” Ron asked.

“It’s up north. Honestly Ron, didn’t you learn about the 50 States?”

“Yes…” Ron said defensively but trailed off.

“Hey y’all you look like you could use a nice cold drink” The southern boy addressed them.

“Oh , we’re fine we just..” Hermione said, “You’re from Ilvermony, aren’t you?”

“Y-yeah. We’re here with the school summer program , fundraising” The blond boy said. “You guys from Hogwarts right?” 

“Yes.  I’m Hermione.”

“Nice  to meet ya” Both boys said. The blond, perpetually nervous-looking boy introduced himself as Dane Whitsky and the confident fire-haired southern boy introduced himself as Blaise D’Aubert.

“I spell it with a z.  As in _fire_.” he said , attempting to be charming or impress, Heather suspected.

“Oh ...interesting” Hermione said looking very awkward. 

“Uh Blaise…Dane said. “The ..the cider”

“Right, right.”Blaise said. “We are the leaders in good fresh world famous cider over here in the states., would ya like to try some? One Continental note.”

“Oh I’m sorry I only have knuts and sickles.” Hermione said.

“Two knuts and a sickle” Dane said , 

“My buddy here can do math in his brain” Blaise elbowed Dane lightly. 

“W-we’ve had twelve people with sickles and knuts so far” Dane said, blushing slightly.

“Yeah but you did it the first time.” Blaise said.”

“ I-I guess.”Dane poured a glass of cider and handed it to her, hands shaking. 

“You allright?” Ron asked.”You seem kind of…”

“He just had too much java this mornin’” Blaise said waving a hand. “Like he does almost every mornin’” 

“Yeah, kinda” Dane said shrugging. 

Hermione took a few sips. “Oh this is good!”

“Told ya. Best cider in the world.” Blaise said. “Wait til you try our hard cider-”

“Blaise, we, umm...we can’t sell that to anyone under 21” Dane said.  

With a wink and finger guns Blaise said. “Come back when you’re twenty one.” 

Hermione giggled a bit-or laughed awkwardly and returned , as they went on their way. 

“He was trying to flirt with you Hermione!” Chase said, giggling.  

“He was trying a bit too hard” Ginny said with a snort. “What was the whole hard cider thing about…”

“Oh the legal age for drinking in the United States is twenty one. “Hermione said.  “I expect hard cider has alcohol in it.”

“Is it?  Weird” Ron said. He turned around and looked at the tents around him. "Er - is it my eyes, or has everything gone green?" They had walked into a patch of tents that were all covered with a thick growth of shamrocks, so that it looked as though small, oddly shaped hillocks had sprouted out of the earth. 

“OI RON!”  From in one of the tents a sandy haired boy their age called out, waving.

“Oi! Seamus!” Ron said going over.  The others followed , Heather somewhat reluctantly.  She was curious to meet more people at Hogwarts but why so many _boys_?

“Who’s that” Seamus looked over to Heather and Chase.

“This is…”

“Heather Carlisle “Heather said. “My sister and I are going to Hogwarts this year.” 

“Oh.  Like the decorations?  The Ministry’s not happy”

"Ah, why shouldn't we show our colors?" said Mrs. Finnigan. "You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents. You'll be supporting Ireland, of course?" she added, eyeing the group critically.  

Heather said nothing and Ron , Hermione and Ginny all agreed.  

“Misses, I’m just here to watch” Chase said honestly, “and hope they have good game snacks or something”

Ron rolled his eyes. Once they left he said “You could at least pretend to be more into it.” 

Chase just shrugged. 

“I wonder what the Bulgarians have on their tents.” Hermione said. 

“Probably decorations for their team” Heather said. “Weren’t we going to get water from the tap?” 

“We can make a detour”  Ron said. Sure enough they did 

The tents here had not been bedecked with plant life, but each and every one of them had the same poster attached to it, a poster of a very surly face with heavy black eyebrows. The picture was, of course, moving, but all it did was blink and scowl. 

"Krum," Heather and Ron said

 "What?" said Hermione.

 "Krum!" said Ron. 

"Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker!" 

"He looks really grumpy," said Hermione, looking around at the many Krums blinking and scowling at them.

 "'Really grumpy?" Ron rolled his eyes "Who cares what he looks like? He's unbelievable. He's really young too. Only just eighteen or something. He's a genius, you wait until tonight, you'll see."

“I don’t know I think he looks hot” Chase said, fanning herself for emphasis. 

“First you drool all over Cedric Diggory now this” Ginny said with an exasperated sigh. 

“That’s Chase for you, she’s been boy crazy since she turned twelve.” Heather said with a laugh. 

“Not just boy crazy, I like girls too.” Chase said.  The others looked a little surprised. 

“Oh...well”

There was already a small queue for the tap in the corner of the field. Heather and the rest of their group joined it, right behind a pair of men who were having a heated argument. One of them was a very old wizard who was wearing a long flowery nightgown. 

The other was clearly a Ministry wizard; he was holding out a pair of pinstriped trousers and almost crying with exasperation.

 "Just put them on, Archie, there's a good chap. You can't walk around like that, the Muggle at the gate's already getting suspicious -”

“ I bought this in a Muggle shop," said the old wizard stubbornly. "Muggles wear them."

 "Muggle women wear them, Archie, not the men, they wear these," said the Ministry wizard, and he brandished the pinstriped trousers.

 "I'm not putting them on," said old Archie in indignation. "I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks."

Hermione and Ginny , as well as Chase erupted into a fit of giggles and head to duck out of line for a moment.  Heather grimaced and shuddered, not wanting to think about the mental images it gave her. Hermione, Chase and Ginny returned once Archie had gotten his water and moved away.  

On their way back they saw several people Ron and Hermione recognized. Heather saw a pretty girl, who Hermione pointed out as Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw seeker. Heather momentarily reconsidered Ravenclaw as a house choice.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Tendrael helped me with the wording of the prophecy

**January 2014**

**Ilvermony School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

**Pukwudgie Common Room**

The Pukwudgie House common room was quiet as many students were at home for the holidays. The cozy room had earthy tones of brown, green and yellow. Naturally it had the most Pukwudgies in it, as they liked to use it for an all purpose lounge more often than not. Though if a student thought they would happily provide snacks or services upon request, they’d be sadly mistaken. Requests were often met with a gruff “do it yourself, human” The older Pukwudgie students often watched in amusement when an uppity first year thought they could order a Pukwudgie around. It didn’t happen terribly often because those with excess haughtiness rarely made it into House Pukwudgie. 

That evening Dane Whitskey , a fourth year who was almost at the top of his class in Divination, was busy studying some tarot cards he drew up , trying to understand the meaning. Dane could be rather scatterbrained in most other subjects so the fact he was high in Divination seemed to most to be a testament of his Seeing ability.  

One of the fifth year girls noticed that he was rather out of it, almost blankly staring at his cards.  Perhaps he’d had too much of the soda he often smuggled in. The boy was a few steps away from being a first class caffeine addict.  

“Dane….are you allright?” She asked tentatively. He looked up at her with a distant look in his eyes and spoke in a quiet voice, almost murmuring distractedly.  It was rather disturbing.

“”A new foe to the Dark Lord rises, born from the ashes of those he has wronged”

“....what?”

However Dane continued. 

“Loyalty spurned has twisted into vengeance,born from the oldest of lines”

“Dane what the hell are you talking about?”

“She shall navigate the twists and turns of fate, and wield the Dark Lord's chosen foe”

“...”   


“Her power is the blackest of magics, the power to bring a nation to its knees” 

“Dane are you okay?”  She asked. Who was this dark lord he was talking about?

"Wha-? What do you mean?  I was just studyin' my cards" he said looking confused.  

"You were just talking about a dark lord and the blackest of magic" the girls said.

"That's kinda morbid. .." Dane scratched his head. "Was I really?"

" _ Yes _ , it was creepy." One of the Pukwudgies turned to them.

"That was a prophecy,human boy.  You should report it to your headmaster.  Matters of dark lords are nothing to ignore". The Pukwudgie said 

"...oh ...okay" Dane nodded,getting up. "I hope you remember it, Clover, because I sure don't "

"How could I forget" Clover shuddered.    
  


**\----**

_ Dear Headmaster Dumbledore _

_ I fear I have grave news for you.  One of our best Divination students has made a prophecy about a rising dark lady in your country. Enclosed is the memory of the prophecy by the one who was present to witness it.  _

_ I hope that you are prepared for the coming struggle. I know you are already facing a threat, and I regret that I must add another burden upon your shoulders. _

_ Hoping you are well,  _

_ Agilbert Fontaine, Headmaster of Ilvermony School of Witchcraft and Wizardry _

Albus Dumbledore stared at the letter on his desk , contemplating it. He had viewed the prophecy, it made things very difficult for him. Moreso than they already were.  Now he had to worry about taking down two dark lords and keeping a closer watch than ever on Harriet Potter. First though, he had to find her. She had left the Dursleys after they mishandled her greatly and he had gotten no response from the Carlisles.

He also had the young American seer to see about.  No doubt Voldemort’s forces would be finding the boy and trying to torture information out of him.  Dumbledore would have to keep him close. There was the Triwizard Tournament in the early stages of being planned.  Dumbledore had some letters to write, to Fontaine, as well as to the Ministry. Perhaps he could convince them to forge alliances with a fourth school. 

And once he found the Potter girl he had to keep a tight grip on her.

\------

**May 2014**

_ Dear Albus Dumbledore _

_ We would be more than happy to join you for the Tournament. I will begin to make preparations as soon as possible.  _

_ We will be bringing a selection of seventh years as well as our fourth year class to spectate in the event.  I will be sure to bring Dane Whitskey along with me so you may meet him. I would like to request special protections for him while we are in England.    _

_ Thank you for your invitation and I look forward to meeting you and your students, _

_ Agilbert Fontaine, Headmaster of Ilvermony School of Witchcraft and Wizardry _   
  


The stage was set, time to play. Play, and pray he would win this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, another dark lord for Heather to deal with!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a struggle

**Present Day**

Heather felt excitement rising in her as they walked to the stadium. It was massive and Heather could only imagine how many of her house could fit in there. There were gasps of awe from the others as well. 

"Seats a hundred thousand," said Mr. Weasley, spotting the awestruck look on their faces. "Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again ... bless them,”

Normally Heather would have found that rather condescending and be annoyed by it, but at the moment she didn’t seem to notice his comment at all. 

“This place is awesome” Chase breathed , also blown away by how amazing it looked. 

They made their way to the entrance and a Ministry witch took their tickets. 

"Prime seats!" said the Ministry witch at the entrance when she checked their tickets. "Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go." 

The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple. They clambered upward with the rest of the crowd, which slowly filtered away through doors into the stands to their left and right. Mr. Weasley's party kept climbing, and at last they reached the top of the staircase and found themselves in a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium and situated exactly halfway between the golden goal posts. About twenty purple-and-gilt chairs stood in two rows here.

“This is beautiful!” Chase said.  

“It _is_ very impressive” Heather agreed. 

A hundred thousand witches and wizards were taking their places in the seats, which rose in levels around the long oval field. Everything was suffused with a mysterious golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself. The field looked smooth as velvet from their lofty position. At either end of the field stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high; right opposite them, almost at Heather's eye level, was a gigantic blackboard. Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant's hand were scrawling upon the blackboard and then wiping it off again; watching it, Heather saw that it was flashing advertisements across the field.

**_The Bluebottle: A Broom for All the Family - safe, reliable, and with Built-in Anti-Burgler Buzzer ... Mrs. Shower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover: No Pain, No Stain! ... Gladrags Wizardwear - London, Paris, Hogsmeade..._ **

Heather pulled away from the sights to see who was around them.Thus far empty, except for a tiny creature-a house elf-sitting in the second from last seat at the end of the row behind them. The house elf’s legs were so short they stuck out in front of it on the chair, was wearing a tea towel draped like a toga, and it had its face hidden in its hands.  Aunt Aggie had a couple of them. This one seemed to be afraid of the height they were at. 

Poor thing.

Heather looked back to her group.  Naturally Chase was looking at people with the omnioculars she got, and Ron was enjoying the omnioculars she bought him. Hermione was reading the program.

"'A display from the team mascots will precede the match,"' she read aloud.

 "Oh that's always worth watching," said Mr. Weasley. "National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show."

Heather thought it sounded rather like a circus, and somewhat disturbing considering the kind of things that went on at circuses behind the scenes.  For as amazing as the wizarding world was, quite a few disturbing things went on within it. 

The box filled gradually around them over the next half hour. Mr. Weasley kept shaking hands with people who were obviously very important wizards. Percy jumped to his feet so often that he looked as though he were trying to sit on a hedgehog. When an especially important looking older wizard arrived, Percy bowed so low that his glasses fell off and shattered. Heather looked away and briefly rolled her eyes. 

Highly embarrassed, he repaired them with his wand and thereafter remained in his seat, throwing jealous looks at Heather, whom Cornelius Fudge had greeted attentively .

“My Lord, is this...is this her, Arthur?”  

“Yes, this is the Minister of Magic, Heather, and Minister this is-” Mr. Weasley looked at Heather.

“I suppose my birth name is Harriet Potter, but I go by Heather Carlisle, which I’ve been called all my life nearly” She noticed that the Minister was looking at her forehead, probably her scar. “My eyes are down here Minister” 

“Oh oh yes of course, my dear, I’m sorry.” The Minister said as Percy shot her an appalled look. He introduced her to the wizards on either side of him.

"Harriet Potter, you know," he told the Bulgarian minister loudly, who was wearing splendid robes of black velvet trimmed with gold and didn't seem to understand a word of English. "Harriet Potter ... oh come on now, you know who she is ... the girl who survived You-Know-Who ... you do know who he is -"

“wait….I what now?” Heather asked too surprised to get mad that she was being introduced by another name.

“...you..nobody told you?” Fudge asked surprised. 

“..well no I never asked if I survived anything or anyone.” Heather said. 

“She survived what?” Chase asked suddenly protective. 

“....Har-Heather here survived an attack by the evil wizard Lord...He Who Must Not Be Named, the only known person to survive the killing curse”  Fudge explained. “It’s..it’s why you have that scar.”

“My adoptive mother always hid my scar” Heather said quietly a bit unnerved by this news. Okay more than a bit. 

“I haven’t the faintest idea how you could not know, where have you been hiding all your life-” That was the wrong thing to say. Heather gave him a cool look.

“Well _first_ I was in my aunt and uncle’s closet under the stairs, and then I was adopted and then when I turned eleven and got my letter my adoptive parents got spooked and paid a relative to shut me and my sister away.” Heather said. 

“Oh.. my… “  

There was an awkward silence, and even Mr. Weasley seemed to be wondering what she was thinking. 

“Well” Minister Fudge said awkwardly.  He looked aside as a blonde- very blonde, like platinum - wizard and his wife and son walked over. “Ah there’s Lucius”  

Suddenly Mr. Weasley’s expression was rather strained and the Weasley siblings and Hermione exchanged dark looks. 

The man had long blonde hair in a fancy neat ponytail and the boy , about Heather’s age had slicked back blonde hair. His wife was tall and slim but had a look like she smelled dog dung. Heather recalled the boy from Hermione’s memories. He was a bully. 

"Ah, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy, holding out his hand as he reached the Minister of Magic. "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?" 

"How do you do, how do you do?" said Fudge, smiling and bowing to Mrs. Malfoy. "And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk - Obalonsk - Mr. - well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else - you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?" 

It was like in Chase’s Japanese comics when two people who hated each other met and it was like static between them. 

"Good lord, Arthur," he said softly. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?" 

Heather’s jaw dropped at the sheer rudeness of the comment. 

 “Daaaaaaaang” Chase said quietly. 

However Fudge somehow wasn’t listening or was pretending not to hear.  "Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest." "How - how nice," said Mr. Weasley, with a very strained smile. Lucius’s cold eyes locked on to Heather and he raised an eyebrow.

“And who is this?”

Mr. Weasley twitched.

“This is ...what did you say your name was dear?”

“Heather.  Heather Carlisle.”  

“Yes the girl who lived.  She’ll be attending Hogwarts this year I believe.  Should be in your son’s year!”  

“Well that’s...quite interesting.” Lucius Malfoy looked over her raising an eyebrow. “Pleasure to meet you, young lady.” 

Heather said nothing.  

“I suppose she’s gotten a bit shy but you should have heard her moments ago. Quite the little firecracker!”  He spoke about her as if she was a four year old.

“ _Idiot_ ” Heather thought. 

“Well I imagine the moment might come again” Lucius said with a nasty grin. 

"Slimy gits," Ron muttered as they all turned to face the field again. Next moment, Ludo Bagman charged into the box. 

"Everyone ready?" he said, his round face gleaming. "Minister - ready to go?" 

"Ready when you are, Ludo," said Fudge. 

Ludo whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat, and said "Sonorus!" and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling the packed stadium; his voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of the stands. "Ladies and gentlemen. . . welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!" 

The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message (Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans - A Risk With Every Mouthful!) and now showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

\-----

"KRUM GETS THE SNITCH - BUT IRELAND WINS -- good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!" 

"What did he catch the Snitch for?" Ron bellowed, even as he jumped up and down, applauding with his hands over his head. "He ended it when Ireland were a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!"

Heather sighed, she knew a lot about the rules of Qudditch from her books. “He knew they wouldn’t catch up but he wanted to finish on his terms, Ron” She said. 

Flags were waving all over the stadium, the Irish national anthem blared from all sides; the veela were shrinking back into their usual, beautiful selves now, though looking dispirited and forlorn. 

"Vell, ve fought bravely," said a gloomy voice behind Heather. She looked around; it was the Bulgarian Minister of Magic. 

"You can speak English!" said Fudge, sounding outraged. "And you've been letting me mime everything all day!" 

"Veil, it vos very funny," said the Bulgarian minister, shrugging

Heather barely managed to choke back a laugh at Fudge’s expense.  She just gained some serious respect for the Bulgarian Minister. 

Chase giggled but then looked at Fudge apologetically. “S-sorry Minister, sir”

"And as the Irish team performs a lap of honor, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself is brought into the Top Box!" roared Bagman. 

Heather’s eyes were suddenly dazzled by a blinding white light, as the Top Box was magically illuminated so that everyone in the stands could see the inside. Squinting toward the entrance, he saw two panting wizards carrying a vast golden cup into the box, which they handed to Cornelius Fudge, who was still looking very disgruntled that he'd been using sign language all day for nothing. "Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers - Bulgaria!" Bagman shouted.

 And up the stairs into the box came the seven defeated Bulgarian players. The crowd below was applauding appreciatively; Harry could see thousands and thousands of Omniocular lenses flashing and winking in their direction.

One by one, the Bulgarians filed between the rows of seats in the box, and Bagman called out the name of each as they shook hands with their own minister and then with Fudge. Krum, who was last in line, looked a real mess. Two black eyes were blooming spectacularly on his bloody face. He was still holding the Snitch. He seemed much less coordinated on the ground. He was slightly duck-footed and distinctly round-shouldered. But when Krum's name was announced, the whole stadium gave him a resounding, earsplitting roar. And then came the Irish team.

 Aidan Lynch was being supported by Moran and Connolly; the second crash seemed to have dazed him and his eyes looked strangely unfocused. But he grinned happily as Troy and Quigley lifted the Cup into the air and the crowd below thundered its approval. Heather’s hands were numb with clapping.

\-----

As they left the stadium, many of the Weasley siblings were talking excitedly about the game.  They weren’t alone either, there was a dull roar of people talking throughout the crowd. Heather’s mind went back to what she was told before the game.  

This He Who Must Not Be Named tried to kill her, and she survived.  Her birth parents were killed by this person.  

“Are you okay Heather?” Chase asked coming up next to her.

“Yeah, don’t worry about me” Heather said, “Did you like the game?” 

“I liked the _view_ ” Chase said holding up her omnioculars, grinning mischievously. 

Heather shook her head and sighed. No doubt her sister was using the omnioculars to scope out attractive people.  As they continued on Heather got to debating Ron about Quidditch moves. The crowd made their way back to the campsite  and looking around everyone was excited. In the distance sparks could be seen from the fiery haired American boy from earlier, holding up his wand and shooting fireworks. 

In their tent there was tons of excited discussion and arguing about the match and Qudditch rules in general.  Heather mostly listened as Mr. Weasley and Charlie, one of the elder Weasley brothers argued about foul moves, she only occasionally put in her opinion about it. 

However when Ginny spilled her hot cocoa falling asleep, Mr. Weasley insisted they all go to bed.  Heather and Chase filed in the girls’ tent along with Hermione and Ginny.  

Heather only got partway through a disturbing dream about a figure waving a wand and killing her faceless parents when she was being shaken awake. 

“ _What_?”

“We have to go, Mr. Weasley says its urgent” There were sounds of screaming outside and feet rushing. 

Heather reached for her clothes.

“Just put on a jacket, Mr. W says” Chase said, putting on a coat herself. Heather nodded and pulled her jacket on. She hurried out of the tent with Chase and Ginny close by.

By the light of the few fires that were still burning, he could see people running away into the woods, fleeing something that was moving across the field toward them, something that was emitting odd flashes of light and noises like gunfire. Loud jeering, roars of laughter, and drunken yells were drifting toward them; then came a burst of strong green light, which illuminated the scene. A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upward, was marching slowly across the field Heather squinted, they didn't seem to have faces. . . . Then he realized that their heads were hooded and their faces masked. High above them, floating along in midair, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes.

 It was as though the masked wizards on the ground were puppeteers, and the people above them were marionettes operated by invisible strings that rose from the wands into the air. Two of the figures were very small. More wizards were joining the marching group, laughing and pointing up at the floating bodies. Tents crumpled and fell as the marching crowd swelled. Once or twice Heather saw one of the marchers blast a tent out of his way with his wand. Several caught fire. The screaming grew louder. The floating people were suddenly illuminated as they passed over a burning tent and Harry recognized one of them: Mr. Roberts, the campsite manager. 

The other three looked as though they might be his wife and children. One of the marchers below flipped Mrs. Roberts upside down with his wand; her nightdress fell down to reveal voluminous drawers and she struggled to cover herself up as the crowd below her screeched and hooted with glee.

It was horrifying to watch.  

"That's _sick_ ," Ron muttered, watching the smallest Muggle child, who had begun to spin like a top, sixty feet above the ground, his head flopping limply from side to side. "That is really sick.”

“Why would you do that to anyone?” Chase said staring up at the horrible scene. 

Heather narrowed her eyes. “Because they can’t fight back.. _cowards_ ”

Mr. Weasley came out of the tent with his oldest sons. "We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley shouted over all the noise, rolling up his sleeves. "You lot - get into the woods, and stick together. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"

Heather followed the Weasley twins pulling Chase along with her. They got into the woods and looked back. The crowd beneath the Roberts family was larger and Ministry wizards struggled to get to the perpetrators. The lanterns lighting the way in the woods were extinguished and everything was dark. Panicked voices and children’s crying rang throughout the woods. 

Heather found herself being pushed by crowds of people she couldn’t see, she heard Ron yell out in pain. 

"What happened?" said Hermione anxiously, stopping so abruptly that Harry walked into her. "Ron, where are you? Oh this is stupid - lumos!" She illuminated her wand and directed its narrow beam across the path.

 Ron was lying sprawled on the ground. "Tripped over a tree root," he said angrily, getting to his feet again.

 "Well, with feet that size, hard not to," said a drawling voice from behind them. Heather, Hermione , Ron and Chase turned sharply. Draco Malfoy was standing alone nearby, leaning against a tree, looking utterly relaxed. His arms folded, he seemed to have been watching the scene at the campsite through a gap in the trees.

Heather’s grip on her wand tightened. 

Ron told Malfoy to do something that he would never have dared say in front of Mrs. Weasley.

 "Language, Weasley," said Malfoy,  "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like her spotted, would you?" He nodded at Hermione.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Heather asked. 

“They’re after Muggles.” Malfoy said. 

“Hermione’s a witch” Ron snarled. Hermione looked at him for a moment surprised as he moved protectively in front of her. 

“Well if you think they can’t spot a mudblood, stay where you are-”

“You watch your mouth” Ron snapped. 

“You’re one to talk Weasley” Malfoy sneered. 

“Leave us alone” Heather pointed her wand at Malfoy.

“Have something to say, Potter?” He addressed Heather for the first time.  

“Yeah, you get out of here and leave us alone, or I’ll hex you” Heather said, locking eyes with Malfoy. 

“Getting in trouble before you’ve already started school are you?” Malfoy smirked at her.

“He’s not worth it Heather” Hermione said. “Come on, let's go” Her voice was cold. 

There came a bang from the other side of the trees that was louder than anything they had heard. Several people nearby screamed. Malfoy chuckled softly. "Scare easily, don't they?" he said lazily. "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide? What's he up to - trying to rescue the Muggles?" 

“You’re disgusting” Heather spat feeling revulsion rise up in her.

“Creep!” Chase added.

“And who are you?  Potter’s pathetic little fangirl?” Malfoy sneered at her.

“I’m her sister, you dumb arse.” Chase said. 

“...sister?” Malfoy stared between them

“We’re adopted but still family”

“Not by blood.” Malfoy said with disdain.

“Blood doesn’t matter. We’re sisters” Heather said coldly. 

“Blood is everything in the wizarding world, Potter.” Malfoy said, looking amused. 

“Come on, Malfoy isn’t worth listening to” Hermione said irritably , pulling Ron along. As they got away Ron glared back darkly.

“I’ll bet you anything his dad is one of the masked lot” 

“That’s a sucker bet, of course he is” Heather said following. “Blood is everything...what a disgusting pig.” 

“Well if he is then the Ministry will catch them.” She sighed wringing her hands, “Oh where has everyone gotten too?”

 A huddle of teenagers in pajamas was arguing vociferously a little way along the path. When they saw Heather, Chase, Ron and Hermione, a girl with thick curly hair turned and said quickly, "Oü est Madame Maxime? Nous l'avons perdue -"

 "Er - what?" said Ron. "Oh. . ." The girl who had spoken turned her back on him, and as they walked on they distinctly heard her say,"Ogwarts."

 "Beauxbatons," muttered Hermione. 

"Sorry?" said Heather.

 "They must go to Beauxbatons," said Hermione. "You know... Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.  I read about it in An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe."

“Ruddy...of course you did” Ron murmured, “come on, let’s go” He lit his wand and continued down the path.  As they ran, another loud bang echoed from the edge of the wood. Ron muttered “keep moving, keep moving.” Occasionally he glanced nervously at Hermione.  

Hermione seemed bewildered by it and from the memories Heather got, she could only guess that it was because Ron didn’t normally appear to care about her. 

They walked along until they found a clearing, they were probably very far from their tents. They seemed to be in the very heart of the wood.  “We can wait here” Heather said. They were alone, at least until a group of teenagers with cloaks baring the American flag came over looking panicked. 

“Can we share your hiding spot?” A slender brown haired girl asked.  Heather recognised the two boys running the stand from earlier. 

“Sure” Hermione said.  They sat down nearby, even Blaze, the fast talking flirty boy from earlier was quiet and subdued.

“It’s quite mad, to be doing something like this when the whole Ministry of Magic is out. How on earth do they expect to get away with it?” Hermione commented.

“Pro’lly drunk er somethin’ Saw some fellas-”

Blaze stopped as someone seemed to be staggering towards them.

“‘Lo?” 

“Hello?” The footsteps came to a halt. 

“Who’s there?” Ron called out. 

The silence was suddenly ended with a voice unlike any they’d heard shouting out.

"MORSMORDRE!"

And something vast, green, and glittering erupted from the patch of darkness ;it flew up over the treetops and into the sky. It was a colossal skull, comprised of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue.

Several screams followed and Heather and Chase exchanged confused looks. The Americans all looked frightened and drew closer together holding out wands.

“It’s just a symbol” Chase muttered.

“Just a symbol?  Do you know your own history? That’s-” but they never found out what it was because another voice called out and the Americans scattered like mice. Heather overheard Blaze muttering.

“Ah hope ah never see that dang thing again in my whole danged life” 

“What’s everyone freaking out about” Chase asked.

“It’s You-Know-Who’s sign!” Hermione said, looking scared, “Come on” She pulled Chase and Ron along.  Heather followed. So that was the symbol of the bastard who killed her parents.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay thank God that's done. Next chapter has Heather and Chase sorted and off to Hogwarts. Oh wow I can't wait to get to writing it! I've been having to drink caffeine to even care about these middle chapters.

The American wizards hurried away to catch up with their teacher.  They had been walking since dark. Some of the other students surrounded Dane protectively to avoid letting him be seen by the hooded wizards.  Dane was a halfblood but he had also made a prophecy earlier that year that heavily involved the dark lord that the hooded wizards followed. They had no idea yet if any Death Eaters knew of the prophecy but it was best to play on the safe side.

“Where have you  _ been _ ?” Professor Landers demanded.  The bearded man looked haggard with worry. 

“We were runnin’ like Headmaster Fontaine told us to” Polly Perkins said. 

“Well I’ve been looking all over for you.” Landers sighed. “We need to go, is everyone here?” He did a headcount. “Right then,”

Dane hid himself in the crowd of students. 

“Whitskey? Are you allright?”

“Y-yeah, yes sir” Dane nodded rising up a little, “just...a -a lil shaken yanno?” 

“If I had known those  _ people  _ were still out and freed…” Landers said quietly.  

“You ain’t thinkin’ of backing out of the tournament?” Blaze asked. “I’ve been lookin’ forward to it all year.”

“No...at Hogwarts we’ll have protections. Not to mention I believe the headmaster has things to discuss with Dumbledore.” There was some rustling in the brush and everyone froze for a moment. A harried Ministry wizard poked in.

“You lot all right?”

“Yes. We were just leaving, actually.” Landers said cooly. “I do hope the tournament is more well organized than whatever the hell this was.” 

\----

They all ran until they heard several spells being thrown behind them and Ministry wizards popped into view  shooting spells at them Heather ducked them feeling shocked. This whole thing was a clusterfuck, what were these people  doing? She figured they must have been following the trail of the mark in the sky. Still. 

“STOP!” Mr. Weasley called. “STOP THATS MY SON!”

The wizards stopped and looked at them.

“Did you conjure the Dark Mark?” That’s what it was called? The Dark Mark?   _ Please _ . This whole thing was making Heather think of one of her fantasy novels. 

“No, we didn’t even know that thing existed!” Chase said. 

“Amos, think about what you’re saying...Harriet Potter conjure the dark mark?” another wizard asked. 

“Yes, yes, of course.”Mr. Diggory said sheepishly.

"Go back to the campsite” Mr. Weasley said before they all popped away. 

\------

As the group of Americans and their professor made their way back to their campsite a few Ministry wizards stopped them, wands out. 

“We saw the dark mark conjured in this direction-”

“I hope you’re not suggesting that any of my students cast the dark mark.” Professor Landers growled. “I will have you know it’s  _ illegal _ in the United States to cast the Dark Mark.” 

“We saw a man come over near us and cast it, then he ran away.” Mandy McKinnon said 

“Yes, see?. It was an adult who cast it and one of yours I might add” Professor Landers said, exasperated by now. “This entire event had been a _ mess _ .”  

“”One of ours?” One of the Ministry wizards said.

“Yes, from your  _ country _ . May we go now? I’d like to get my students back to safety”

“I’ll have you know-”  One started, but the other shook his head.  They popped away.  

\----

They were all silent as they made their way back.  Heather was fuming that Diggory had the absolute gall to suggest she cast the Dark Mark.   _ Her _ . The one whose parents were killed by this seemingly unnamable bastard. Why on earth would she support him?

“So what does mudblood mean anyway?”  Chase asked.

“It's a foul name for someone who’s born from muggles. “Hermione said. “It means ‘dirty blood’”  

“It’s rubbish. All bloody rubbish” Ron said. “Being muggle born makes no difference. Hermione’s the best in our year.”  Hermione looked shocked. 

“Th-thank you Ron” She said.

“Well its true”” He said almost impatiently. 

“I suppose I’d be muggle born too. Though I heard my mum talking about being distant from her family because she’s a squib.” Chase said thoughtfully. 

They stopped at the sound of sobbing. The house else from the stadium ran from the bushes, bawling into her hands.

“I is not doing it! I is not ..*hic* casting the mark.  I is letting down my master” She sputtered. She continued bawling walking away and Hermione watched. 

“You know, House elves get a very raw deal! “ She remarked. 

“I’ve always heard that they like serving wizards…” Ron said. 

“Yes well that doesn’t make it right.” Hermione said, incensed. All the way back Hermione ranted about house elves and slavery. 

“If our aunt’s house elves were any indication they do seem to think their master is their purpose in life” Heather said, “I agree though...it seems like wizards take advantage of that.  Aggie treated hers like property sometimes and believed they should be seen and not heard. Which is why Chase and I barely ever saw them.”

“It sounds like they’ve been brainwashed by wizards to serve them!” Hermione said as their tents came into view.  

\----

When they made it back to the tent Mr. Weasley, Bill , Charlie and Percy were busy cleaning up the campsite.  He shortly answered Ron’s questions about the dark mark and told them how, in the days of ‘You Know Who’s’ power (Heather was quickly getting sick of this ‘You Know Who’ business) the dark mark was cast when his followers killed.  

He sent them back with Cedric, who Heather avoided saying anything to, perhaps in petty anger still about his father.  When they arrived Mrs. Weasley tearfully embraced Fred and George apologizing for nagging them about their OWLs before they left.  Heather pulled Hermione aside as they made up.

“So.. you seem pretty surprised that Ron even cares about you.  Why is he your friend then?” She asked. 

“We’re not...well ...close. I’m pretty certain I was invited here because of you.  I used to hate Ron he was a bit awful to me about being a know-it-all. But in second year, he saw me being harassed by Malfoy and his friends. Ron stood up for me and we’ve sort of tolerated each other since. I do get on with his sister Ginny a bit more” Hermione explained. 

“Oh...does Ron still give you trouble?” Heather asked.

“Oh not as much.” Hermione said.  “He’s mostly tolerable now.”  

“He’s kind of cute” Chase said, causing Heather to jump. She hadn’t known Chase was there. 

“Well be my guest.” Hermione said making a bit of a face. Heather couldn’t help giggling at that.

“If that’s what you like” She said to her sister. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two of the 'unfamiliar Slytherins' were borrowed from Priestess_of_Groove

The next day the Weasleys were horrified to find that a scathing report of the events at the World Cup was the front page news.  Heather privately thought a lot of things weren’t exactly handled well but to be fair, such an attack was probably a very unpleasant surprise  She stayed out of everyone’s way as was her habit. The day after however they got a visitor, the deputy headmistress, with a really old looking patched up hat.  

"I need Ms Potter and Ms Carlisle, if you don't mind, Molly?" She asked with a significant Scottish accent to her voice.  "The rest of you can wait outside, I'm sure Ms Potter and Ms Carlisle will be happy to tell you where they were sorted afterward."

Heather opened her mouth to say something and then closed it. She could deal with being called Potter.  

"Did have something to say, Ms Potter" McGonagall asked.

"No ma'am" Heather followed the headmistress into an empty room and watched as she pulled up a chair and held up the hat. 

"Ms Chase Carlisle is first"  Chase gave a little excited bounce before sitting on the chair.  Professor McGonagall lowered the hat onto her head. Not long afterward the hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!" 

"I love it, it sounds kind of cute.  Hufflepuff!" Chase said, hopping up. 

"Now, Ms Harriet-"

"Heather" Heather corrected.

"Yes.  Ms Heather Potter.  Please sit down" Heather took a seat on the chair and once she felt the hat lower onto her head she heard a voice speak in her mind.

 _"My, my. You certainly are a clever and calculating little thing aren't you?"_  

"Please don't talk about me like I'm four. I bloody hate that" Heather thought back

_"And quite a sassy one too aren't you?"_

"When people annoy me, yes." Heather was getting impatient. 

_"Very well I can sense you are impatient.  Not Hufflepuff for certain. So you've decided on Slytherin for yourself have you?"_

"Yes Slytherin is the most useful house to me at the moment."

" _Useful eh? Well certainly cant fault you, as far as I can see Slytherin would suit your needs and show you the way to greatness.  If you're sure…..SLYTHERIN!_ " When the hat was raised Heather noticed that even McGonagall looked surprised. 

"Well...then." Professor McGonagall said. "That will be all I suppose." 

Heather got up and as she left the room she steeled herself for the reactions from the Weasleys and Hermione. 

\----

However the harsh reactions she was expecting never came. Ron clapped her on the shoulder consolingly. 

"Slytherin, eh? Rotten luck there." Oh if only he knew. Then again better he didn't.

"….you're not mad or anything?" Heather asked.

"No.  I hate Malfoy and his goons because they're Death Eater wannabes." Ron said, "you're not."

"Oh well…" 

"Did you think I was going to be mad at you for how you were sorted?" Ron said giving a short "That would be stupid wouldn't it?  Not like you can decide where to be sorted "

"Right….." 

"I do hope Malfoy doesn't give you too hard a time" Hermione said, sounding worried.

"I'll survive.  When I was in primary school I managed to scare off Chase's bullies in time" Heather said. "Really, don't worry about me." She was put in Slytherin for good damn reason after all. 

\--------

After the sorting, the days passed surprisingly quickly.  Mr. Weasley spent most of them at work. Heather and Hermione both read their schoolbooks, occasionally discussing the things they learned. Hermione was surprised and delighted to learn that Heather had books directed at 5th and 6th years and begged her to allow her to borrow them. 

Chase played Quidditch with the Weasleys brothers and Ginny, and after many days of it, starred to talk about trying out. 

"Really?" Ron looked as if Christmas had been moved up to tomorrow. 

"Its fun" Chase said, as they packed their things, "Plus I bet the team's full of cute boys." 

Ginny rolled her eyes. 

“You were pretty good out there” Ron admitted. 

“Aww thanks” Chase grinned. “I’m definitely trying out, I think chaser might suit me.  It’s in the name you know” Heather groaned. One of the things Chase would do on long boring days in the tower was tell horrible jokes until Heather laughed at one. Often it was a test of resolve to see how long it would take to get Heather to laugh. “That was funny, Heather, come onnn” 

\------

Rain splattered the window on the day that they got up to go to Hogwarts. Heather was almost too excited to sleep. Probably a month ago she wouldn’t have dared imagine it but she was going to Hogwarts.  She was going to a _wizard school_. 

Mr. Weasley got an urgent message from the Ministry and had to leave immediately. Heather and Chase were a little surprised to see how Floo messages worked. A person’s head appeared _in the fire_.  Not long after the message Mr. Weasley was gone.

They started talking about someone named Mad Eye, who Fred appeared to think was a little crazy. Chase helped Mrs. Weasley call a taxi to pick them up and take them to the train station. Heather was very eager to see what the Hogwarts Express was like. 

“Thank you dear...that shirt is a little low cut don’t you think?”

“Aw it’s one of my favorites” Chase complained.

“Put a different shirt on, Chase” Heather said, “maybe your tie dye. You like that one don’t you?:”

“What’s tie dye?” Ron asked. 

“It’s a special way of dyeing a shirt that leaves it with a bunch of bursts of color.  Usually they have all sorts of colors and Chase adores rainbow things” Heather said. 

The taxi came to pick them up, right after Chase returned in her tie dye shirt and rhinestone studded shorts with some pricey platform boots she bought. The drive there was quite uncomfortable and tense after a number of disasters made it much harder for the drivers.  When they got there and the drivers were paid, one asked Mrs. Weasley not to call them again. She sighed and shook her head. 

They got soaked heading into Kings Cross and Heather,Chase, Ron and Hermione were all seriously scratched from both Hermione and Chase's cats by the time they reached a barrier between platforms 9 and 10. 

"Why are we here?"

"This is where you get to Platform 9 ¾. You can run into it or you can just slide through." Mrs. Weasley explained. 

Heather blinked in surprise at the name of the platform.  That figured for a wizard train, it probably wouldn't be out in the open.  Heather gripped the cart handles and pushed on through. A part of her still expected to crash as she flinched going through the wall. But she felt no crash.  Heather opened her eyes, hearing the sounds of a busy train station. 

It was indeed very packed.  People carried umbrellas around with raindrops falling down their luggage. She moved aside as Chase and the others came through. 

The Hogwarts Express was a great big scarlet engine gleaming with raindrops,  with clouds of smoke billowing out. All around, parents saw their children off, giving them last minute reminders.  The Weasley twins helped Heather and her sister up on the train with their things. 

They stowed their luggage away before going back to the platform to say goodbye. 

"I might be seeing you all sooner than you think," said Charlie, grinning, as he hugged Ginny good-bye.

"Why?" said Fred.

"You'll see," said Charlie. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it.. . it's 'classified

information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all."

"Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year," said Bill, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train.

"Why?" said George impatiently.

"You're going to have an interesting year," said Bill, his eyes twinkling. "I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it."

"A bit of what?" said Ron annoyed. However an answer never came. The train whistle blew and Mrs Weasley hurried them aboard the train.

"It was very nice to meet you,girls" Mrs Weasley said fondly

"Nice to meet you too, Mrs. W!" Chase said 

"Thank you for having us at your house" Heather said. 

"Oh it was my pleasure, dears," said Mrs. Weasley. "I'd invite you for Christmas,

but...well, I expect you're all going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with. . . one

thing and another."

"What? What do you lot keep hinting at?" Ron demanded. But at that point the train started to take off.  The remaining Weasleys waved. 

"I like her, she's very mum like" Chase said with a smile,waving back with the others.

"Well I mean she _is_ a mum" Ron said. 

"Yes well not all mums are mum-like" Heather said. "Our mum was the type to barely say two words to us because she was always busy at the office. You know how busy your dad's been Ron? Our Mum and Dad are twice that all the time."

"Oh. How awful" Hermione said. 

"They give us lots of things to make up for it" Ron gave Chase a resentful look. Heather sighed wanting to slap her palm to her face. Ron had not exactly been subtle that he hated being poor. "Oh...sorry" Chase cringed looking guilty.

"Still I'm sure you must miss them" Hermione said.

"Not really." Heather said. "Not anymore."

They made their way to an empty compartment and sat down with their things.

"And honestly it's really rubbish. They're always gone, never at your games , your events. Then they try to bloody buy your forgiveness with _things_.  Because you're a kid. It's like they think you're stupid.  Then they'll do it again. And if you try to talk to them about it, they treat you like you're being difficult."  Bitterness filled Heather's words. 

"They'll probably do the same thing for locking us away with Aunt Aggie for three years." Chase said "please forgive us here's some money you can't even use here. Oh and don't ever mention it again because money makes things okay." 

"Bloody….they locked you in your aunt's house??" Ron's resentful look melted away. 

"More or less. We occasionally were taken to Diagon. But most of the time it was 'don't leave the tower or immediate area around'" Heather said. "Our parents paid her."

"I'd go mad" Ron said shaking his head. 

"Now you understand why money isn't enough?" Heather said. He nodded. "But if they're going to try, I'm going to never let them forget"

"I love my Slytherin sister" Chase said. They all went quiet when they heard an annoying drawling voice from the compartment next to them.

". . . Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts,

you know. He knows the headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore - the man's such a Mudblood-lover - and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not just the defense rubbish we do. . . ."

"Ugh… what a bloody prick. wish he had gone to Durmstrang, whatever that is...." Heather said in disgust.

“It’s another wizard school, with a horrible reputation at that” Hermione said. “According to An Appraisal ofMagical Education in Europe, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts.”

“Where is it?” Ron asked.

“Nobody knows.  The three wizarding schools have a huge rivalry and they try to keep their locations secret so people don’t steal the school’s secrets”

“Why are they hiding a freaking bomb? It’s a school , not a top secret military base” Chase said. 

“Come on, how do you hide something as big as a school anyway” Ron asked.

"But Hogwarts is hidden," said Hermione, in surprise. "Everyone knows that.. . well, everyone who's read Hogwarts, A History, anyway."

 "So, you, then," said Ron, "So go on - how d'you hide a place like Hogwarts?" 

"It's bewitched," said Hermione. "If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is a moldering old ruin with a sign over the entrance saying DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE."

“Wicked.” Chase said quietly.  “See Heather, I TOLD you”

Heather shook her head in amazement. “How do you remember these things?”

Chase shrugged, “I’m talented.”

“At being tacky” a voice said.  Malfoy stood at the open compartment door with a pug nosed, dark haired girl. “Where did you get those ridiculous shoes?”

“Off the internet.  Why, jealous?” Chase asked. 

“The what?  Oh God Draco you were right. She really is a mudblood”

Heather pointed her wand at the girl. “I was raised by muggles too so if you have a problem you’d better leave.”  

“Oh but I want to know… are any of you entering?”  Malfoy asked.

“Entering?  Entering what?” Ron said.

“..You don’t know?  You have a father and brothers at the Ministry and you don’t know.  Unbelievable” Malfoy said with a laugh.

“Oh but I bet nobody talks about important things around Weasley’s father.” the girl said. 

“If you’re not going to tell us what you’re talking about then _leave_.” Hermione said.  Once they left, Ron slammed the compartment door so hard it broke.  Hermione shot him a look and then repaired it with magic. 

“....So” Chase said, “who was that? The girl.  Malfoy’s girlfriend?”

“Pansy Parkinson.  She’s a total cow who’s been bullying people since she got here” Hermione said.

“Seems like it” Heather said,  It was quiet for a while after that.  At some point Hermione led them off to a room to change into their uniforms.  Chase very reluctantly changed out of her outfit. As they left they passed by a group of unfamiliar Slytherins.  Two boys, a dark haired and dark eyed boy and his brown haired friend stuck close by each other, while a bespectacled, auburn haired boy wearing a kerchief around his neck and rather fancy vest chatted with two others about something in hushed voices. 

It was still raining as they pulled into the station and thunder rolled overhead as they shuffled out of the train.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing this chapter!!!

The rain was coming down fast and hard like cold wet bullets as they hurried through to the carriages that seemed to pull themselves.  Heather was grateful to get into a carriage. Her auburn hair was soaking wet and her glasses had drips all over them. Once inside the carriage Hermione offered to fix her glasses.  She took them and cast a charm that made them wipe themselves like windshield wipers. 

Chase gaped at her in amazement and then requested the same. 

“You are amazing at magic.” She said gratefully once Hermione had done it.  “Oh poor Jewel.” she stroked her cat’s face gently through the carrier. “I know you hate water.”

As they got closer to Hogwarts both Heather and Chase gaped at the castle in wonder. It was even more amazing up close.  Somehow the lightning flashing around it made it a much more breathtaking sight. They made it through the gates and up to a pair of great big doors and a flight of steps. 

Once the carriage stopped , the four of them hopped down and hurried up the steps and into the doorway to a grand and majestic entrance hall with flights of stairs that seemed to occasionally switch around from leading to one way to another.  It was incredible. 

“Come on! “ Ron called, “are you going to just stare or you going to-AAARGH!”

Looking up Heather could see an odd little man that was half corporeal-looking, with a nasty malicious looking face  and a jester outfit throwing water balloons down at them.  

“Ugh Peeves” Ron muttered. 

“ _Bastard_.. This is NEW” The auburn haired, kerchief-wearing Slytherin from the train complained, glaring up at the poltergeist.

"PEEVES!" yelled an angry voice. "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!"

Professor McGonagall, the woman who had Heather and Chase sorted came over nearly skidding, and grabbing Hermione around the neck to keep herself from slipping. 

"Ouch - sorry, Miss Granger -"

 "That's all right, Professor!" Hermione gasped, massaging her throat and wincing in pain. 

"Peeves, get down here NOW!" barked Professor McGonagall, righting her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square spectacles. 

"Not doing nothing!" cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several older girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!" And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived.

Heather aimed her wand at Peeves and fired off a hex she had learned from a book in the tower. 

Peeves dodged it and cackled throwing a few more of his balloons before rushing away cackling. 

“Miss Potter, thank you , but there is to be no aimless magic in the corridors.”  Professor McGonagall said. 

“It wasn’t aimless. It’s aim was to stop that maniac throwing water balloons,..Professor” Chase said adding the last bit quickly in respect. McGonagall seemed to think this over before shaking her head, deciding she didn’t want to punish her after all.

“Very well..Now move along, then, move along!” Mc Gonagall said, rather sharply. “Onto the Great Hall” 

They made their way into the great hall and Heather gave a little gasp.  It was amazing, A huge hall with four long tables decorated for each house.  Hundreds of candles floated above them shining brightly and creating a starry effect.  At a high table all the teachers sat along with the headmaster. Heather looked at him for a moment. So this was the man that her Aunt Aggie had gone to such ridiculous lengths to keep her from, and who sentenced her to a life with the Dursleys. A sentence that she managed to evade.

“Heather!”  She looked back at Hermione. “We need to go to our houses...I hope we can still spend time together.”

Heather smiled. “We will. Trust me”  Unlike her adoptive parents, Heather didn’t betray her word.

Chase gave Heather a tight hug before making her way over to the Hufflepuff table.  Heather walked over to the Slytherin table, ignoring the whispers and stares from other students  She took a seat at the Slytherin table, quite a bit a ways from Draco Malfoy and his stupid friends.  Nearby ,kerchief-boy and his friends were sitting. 

“Hello. She said.

“Ah!  Hello there!” Kerchief boy said brightly. “Welcome to Slytherin.  I apologize for the impression that some may give us” He deliberately avoided looking toward Malfoy and his friends. “My name is Timothy Montague.  Monte, if you please.” 

“Nice to meet you.  I’m Heather ...well Heather Potter I suppose.” She said.

One of his friends, a boy with sandy blonde hair gave a small, friendly smile. “My name is Gilbert Burke.”

A black boy with short hair grinned at her. “Harper Gage.” 

A short girl with  brown hair in spiral hair ornaments,introduced herself as Ramona Wickett.  

A pale dark haired girl introduced herself as Astoria Greengrass. 

A girl with platinum blonde hair almost like Malfoy’s with a messy bun and a hair ornament that looked like a set of fanged jaws looked over at her, and seemed to look her over with green eyes before saying “I’m Dahlia Fawley” 

Heather noticed the two friends from the train sitting next to each other chatting eagerly with one another.  

The group included her in their chatting and asked her about herself. Heather answered carefully, avoiding mentioning that she was raised by a  muggle and a squib. Though she imagined it was assumed at this point with how long she was apparently absent from the magical community. Still no use talking openly about it.

Silence suddenly fell as the doors to the Great Hall opened and the first years entered looking completely drenched. They were shivering as they walked up the hall between the tables , probably not from just the cold. One mousy looking boy was wearing an oversized moleskin coat, probably belonging to the exceptionally large man who entered behind them,  As the boy passed someone at the Gryffindor table he mouthed something akin to “I fell in the lake.” Oddly, he looked quite pleased about it. 

“Oh poor things” Monte said quietly. “I can’t imagine crossing the lake in this weather.

Professor McGonagall placed a three legged stool down and placed the ratty looking old Sorting Hat on top of it. Heather was glad she was sorted privately. She couldn’t imagine she’d like everyone watching her. Even if the truly private stuff was going on in her mind. 

A long tear near the brim of the hat opened and the hat started to sing. 

It was truly the most bizarre thing Heather had ever seen but everyone seemed to act as if it were normal-which it probably was.  Still. A hat singing..so strange.

Once the hat finished, Professor McGonagall pulled out a scroll and began reading from it, with each student coming forward as she read their name. 

“Baddock, Malcolm” was the first student to become a Slytherin.  Monte grimaced as Fred and George Weasley hissed and booed as the boy sat down.   
  
“Ugh those two.”  Heather felt incensed watching them.  How was it any different from Malfoy harassing Gryffindors?  She would be confronting the two as soon as she got a chance. 

“Here’s hoping Malfoy and his lot don’t corrupt the new lot” Ramona said.

“Pritchard, Graham” became a Slytherin as well.

“Pritchard...that doesn’t sound like one of the twenty eight...maybe he has some hope”  Harper mused. Heather wondered what the twenty eight meant. 

“What’s that supposed to mean” Gilbert asked.

“Oh sorry Gil.” 

“No I get it. I agree. Only teasing.” 

Once the sorting was over, Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet.  

. "I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. "Tuck in."

With those words food magically appeared on the plates around them and students immediately began eating all around.  Heather loaded up her plate with mashed potatoes, turkey and pie.

“What’s the twenty eight?” she asked.

“The sacred twenty eight. Basically some of the oldest wizarding families” Monte explained. “Supposedly the purist families but well…” he shrugged. “Honestly if you ask me it’s just a popularity list some bloke made and put all his friends on. But the wizard world puts a lot of stock in it. My family’s not on it either.”  

“Oh” Heather said. It sounded rather stupid. She listened to them talk noticing that some, like Dahlia, hardly spoke at all. As she ate she started to notice that one teacher, who she recognized as Snape, hardly took his eyes off of her.  Ugh , how creepy. 

“-and you know...once they were drunk enough, Father and Bartholomew took off, leaving me and Zippy all on our lonesome…” Monte went on. 

“They went to join the old gang didn’t they.  My father did too” Gilbert said.

“Zippy?” Heather asked.

“The house elf my parents have had attending to me since I was small” Monte explained. It was starting to sound like many rich families had them. 

“How about the turnout of that game though?  I thought for sure Bulgaria might have a chance at the beginning.” Harper said. 

“Yes, but Bulgaria would have needed ten more players of Krum’s skill to win” Gilbert said.

“Hmmm Hmmm” Monte nodded looking rather distracted. 

“Were you watching the game, Monte?” Astoria asked with a slight giggle.

“”He had his eyes on the wizards in the stadium, Astoria” Pansy said turning over to them, “didn’t you Timmy?” Astoria looked very apologetic.

Monte blushed scarlet. “I was looking at the program thank you” He said coldly. 

“Oh please we know the truth. Putting those omnioculars to good use weren’t you?” Pansy said.  

Monte looked away flushing deep in embarrassment.

“Leave Monte alone!” Astoria said. 

“Oh please Astoria , we’re only having a little fun.” Pansy said , laughing. “Oh poor Timmy he’s embarrassed now... “

“Poor _Bartholomew_ ” Malfoy said. “I’d be embarrassed knowing my brother is the gayest wizard in Slytherin.” 

“That’s funny, I’d be embarrassed if my sibling were the biggest prick in Slytherin” Heather said

“Yours is a mudblood, so you really can’t talk” Pansy said. A fifth year girl cleared her throat sternly and fixed a look at Pansy. 

“Parkinson, leave them alone.”  she said, “Otherwise I’ll report you for harassment.” 

Pansy scowled but relented and went back to gossiping about people’s clothing. Soon, the first course disappeared and was replaced by all kinds of puddings and desserts. Heather filled her plate, piling it high especially with Treacle tart.

“Ooh that's a lot, Heather… you sure you can eat all that?” Ramona asked.

“Yes Potter, you don’t want to be as fat as your sister”  Pansy said.

“...not what I meant, _Parkinson_ ” Ramona said. “Merlin, what a cow.” 

“I know” Heather said grimly. “I need to perfect the silencing charm.”  

Soon the second course was finished and vanished from the plates, and Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet to speak.

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered,"I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.” Heather listened quietly sending Dumbldeore a piercing glare,  She had words for him. 

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it." 

 "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. "It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

There was a rising of shocked reactions and murmurs through the crowd.  Dumbledore continued on "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -"

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling.

He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.

A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling.

"My word" 

The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Heather had ever seen. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening.

One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness.

A few students shuddered and Heather noticed that Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle looked nervous. Then again so did Monte and Gilbert. 

"Dumbledore _cannot_ be serious." Monte muttered. 

"Looks like he is,mate" Gilbert sighed. 

“Who’s that?” Heather asked. 

“Mad Eye Moody” Monte explained grimly, “dark wizard catcher. Hates everyone who practices the dark arts.”

“-and anyone related to them.” Gil added

Moody sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students

 

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."

A few people clapped but most of them were silent just...staring. 

"As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the= Trizwizard- now called the Quadiwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

Jaws dropped and whispering raised so loud it was almost a dull roar. 

"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly. 

The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. "I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar-”

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. 

"Er - but maybe this is not the time.. . no. . ." said Dumbledore, "where was I? Ah yes, the Quadiwizard Tournament. . . well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.”

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

There were mutters all around. Some of excitement and others of alarm

“Oh well, I don’t fancy joining _that_..” Monte said.

“Maybe Bart will want to” Gil said with a wicked grin.

“...that would be fortunate yes” Monte mused.  Monte must really hate his brother, Heather thought.  

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger”

“We have invited another school, from the United States, Ilvermony School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be joining along with Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.” 

There were more mutters and whispers.  

“Oh my...that’s an odd choice” Monte remarked, “I wonder why Ilvermony in particular was added.” Heather had to agree with Monte.  Why bring back the Triwizard Tournament and add another school to it?  

“The head of Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Ilvermony will be arriving with their contenders and a group of younger students brought along to watch this historic event take place, in October The selection of the four champions will take place on Halloween.  An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Quadiwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money” 

Heather could hear several students at his table and other tables talking about how they were going to go for it. Malfoy was of course, among them. 

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This" -- Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words,  "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.” 

"The delegations from Beauxbatons Ilvermony and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" 

 There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall. Heather got up hearing many angry mutterings and loud complaints from the likes of Malfoy and his friends.  A burly brown haired boy a seventh year probably accompanied by his dark haired friend gave a lofty chuckle and clapped Malfoy’s shoulder.

“Leave it to those of us who are equipped.”

Malfoy sneered and wrenched his shoulder away. 

“Oh poor Malfoy” Harper said very quietly as Monte snickered. 

“Yes poor Malfoy indeed. Now I supposed he understands a fraction of why I detest him. _A fraction_ ”

“Are you putting your name in Heather?” Gilbert asked. 

“No you heard him.  Nobody under seventeen. Besides I’m at no loss for money” Heather said. She followed the crowd out to the corridors and down the stairs.  They were led by a girl called Gemma Farley and Bartholomew Montague, the prefects of Slytherin.  

The prefects approached a stretch of bare wall and Bartholomew gave Gemma what looked to Heather like a very condescending look and spoke. “Inheritance”  The wall pulled back much like the wall into Diagon Alley that Heather had seen so many times and revealed a passage. 

Heather followed the two prefects down the passage starting to sympathize with Monte’s hatred of his brother.  Especially when he roughly shoved aside one of the pair of younger Slytherin boys walking together. “Move aside Grey.” 

The boy glared at Montague while his friend hissed in his ear. “He’s a prefect, don’t.”  Gemma gave Montague a dirty look. 

The inside of the Slytheirn Common Room was very...green.  

It had an ancient grandiose look to it, with the dark water of the lake seen in all the windows and lamps that shone a green hue on everything. There were tapestries hanging around and a carving of a snake in the wall above the crackling fireplace. 

“Welcome to Slytherin.” Gemma said. She gave a speech about Slytherin’s qualities and how Slytherin was full of “your real friends”  and supported one another. It might have been Heather’s imagination but Gemma was looking at Malfoy when she said that.  

“We would like to welcome Ms…”

She looked over to Heather.

“Heather Potter” Heather said.  Gasps and whispers rang throughout the room until Gemma cleared her throat. 

“Heather is part of our Slytherin family and we will all show her respect as we show all of our fellow Slytherins. Won’t we Malfoy, Parkinson?”

Malfoy glared at the girl.

Montague leaned over to his fellow Prefect “I don’t think you want to upset Lord Malfoy Farley” 

“Lord?” Heather asked.  “Malfoy’s dad is a…”

“Yes he’s Lord of the Malfoy household.  All of the oldest families have lords and ladies.” Monte explained. “My father is often called Lord Montague.” 

“Oh.;..” Heather wondered if her birth parents were dead...did that make her Lady Potter?  She’d have to ask about that. Many students started heading to the dormitories. “Come on, Heather you can grab a bed near us” Ramona and Astoria led her to the girls dormitories where several four poster beds were and every students’ luggage was near a bed.  Heather’s trunk was near a window and unfortunately across from Pansy Parkinson. 

Heather heaved a sigh as Pansy shot her an ugly look and she went to her bed and got in.  The sheets were very warm and comfortable after the raging, storm outside. She wondered how Chase was doing right now. She had never been so apart from her sister for so long. 


	11. Chapter 11

Heather's first day at Hogwarts did not get off to the best start. First she had to listen to Pansy gossiping about her and how 'ugly' she looked when she first woke up.  

".... looks like a Weasley reject…don't know what she's doing in Slytherin"

Heather took a deep breath and ignored it. Being mean was just Pansy's  _ thing _ . She got dressed not even looking at Pansy and her friends. 

Astoria and Ramona gave sympathetic looks.  

"I'll be fine." She said with a small smile. They walked with her to the great hall, and Monte,Gil and Harper joined them. 

"What a  _ dreary _ morning" Monte said with a ' _ tsk _ ' 

“At least we get our timetables”  Gil said brightly. 

“There is that, yes.” Harper said.    
  
“Oh ,Heather did you get your permission slip signed?” Ramona asked.

“...for...what?” Heather asked. Astoria and Ramona gave disappointed sighs.  

‘“For  _ Hogsmeade _ ” Ramona said, “I suppose you could ask Snape to give you one…” 

However they were stopped by Snape himself before they sat down. He looked over them and stopped at Heather looking slowly over her. “Ms. Potter.” 

“Yes , professor?” Heather asked , feeling creeped out by the way Snape focused on her. 

“A word?”

“Yes, ..sir” she hated to be alone with this guy for some reason but she went along as he led her aside. Still in the great hall, with witnesses, good. “

“The headmaster has sent word to your guardians about your being at the school and sent along your permission slip.”  Heather felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.   
“Oh  _ no _ ” Heather said quietly. The professor raised an eyebrow.  “N-nothing sir”   


“I’ve been told they were extremely unwilling to let you attend.  Rest assured our headmaster has likely sent along a word to reassure or convince them.” Professor Snape said. 

“I hope he can do it.” She said.  “Was there anything else, professor?” Snape seemed to hesitate

“No, Ms Potter.”  He left and she watched him go on to the Head Table before she heard a strange sound and turned around.  Many owls were flying in through open windows with packages and rolled up newspapers. Heather saw Hedwig among them and went over to where Ramona, Astoria and Monte sat.  Hedwig dropped an envelope in front of her.

It had her mother and father’s handwriting.  Damn

_ Dear Heather, _

_ We are very disappointed to hear that you and your sister went against our wishes and ran off to Hogwarts.  We specifically asked you to stay at your aunt’s home where you were  _ **_safe._ ** __

“Oh you are  _ joking _ ”  Heather shook her head. Safe and locked up.  Could you really even call that safe if it was taking a toll on your sanity?

_Hogwarts is a dangerous place and furthermore, we had you down for a very_ **expensive** _school once you were old enough. We had thousands of dollars put down for you._ ** _Thousands_** _.  You would have made lots of money as a lawyer or a doctor._

“....are they, er.  Not pleased?” Monte asked.

“Sounds like it” Ramona said.

_ Still as long as you’re at Hogwarts we expect you to get top grades and show your classmates the worth of a good ( _ **_expensive_ ** _ ) private school education. Try out for the football team.  Or whatever you have there. You always loved football.  _

_ We are currently in the New York on a very important job- _

“Of course they are” Heather said rolling her eyes.

“Of course they’re what?” Astoria leaned in curiously. 

“On a ‘very important job’ somewhere else.” Heather said. “They’re lawyers. And always busy.” 

“Your parents are  _ lawyers _ ?” Pansy Parkinson asked , wrinkling her nose with disgust.

“Reading a letter here!” Heather snapped back.  “And do you not have lawyers?”

“Well we already know your sister is a-” She stopped as Gemma gave her a look from down the table. “ That you two were raised by muggles” 

“Whatever I’m already dealing with enough right now..” Heather shook her head and continued reading. 

_ We are currently in the New York on a very important job and we have booked a vacation home in Hawaii for the summer. We will be sending along tickets for you and your sister to fly in and meet us at the Honolulu airport. We have signed your and your sister’s permission slip.  Be smart with your money and please behave  _ **_better_ ** _ than you did at Aunt Agatha’s house.  _

_ With Regards, _

_ Mum and Dad _

Heather shook her head again and was about to take a look at the permission slip before she heard the loud noise of Aunt Aggie yelling over at the Hufflepuff table. 

“-I AM ABSOLUTELY APPALLED-BUT NOT SURPRISED AT ALL - AT YOUR UTTER AND COMPLETE BETRAYAL OF MY TRUST, YOU SPOILT, ROTTEN BRATS! I TOLD YOU HOGWARTS WAS DANGEROUS . WAS THE QUIDDITCH CUP NOT PROOF ENOUGH?  IF I FIND ONE TRACE OF YOUR THINGS AROUND THE TOWER I AM SELLING THEM AND YOU WILL NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN! YOU ARE NEVER WELCOME IN MY HOUSE AGAIN!”

Heather felt fury rising up in her as she saw Chase bury her face in her hands, sobbing.  To her relief there were housemates to console her and check if she was all right. 

She had nice housemates.  Good. 

"Oh my" Monte said, "Was that…?"

"That was Aggie.  The old hag we stayed with for three years" Heather said. She wasn't acknowledging the rude old woman as family anymore. "What was that...screaming letter?"

"That's a Howler" Gilbert said. "My dad sends them to June and I quite often. He likes being able to scream at us whether we're home or not" 

"They are quite unpleasant" Monte nodded in agreement. 

"What a  _ wonderful _ use of magic. Inventing letters that  _ literally _ scream at you." Heather said sarcastically.  She got up looking over at the Hufflepuff table again. “....I should check on her but first...I’m going to need a Howler, Aggie’s address and an empty room that can be locked.”  

“Right, Storia and I can help you with...er….two of those.” Ramona said. “But you know, you don’t have to yell at it.  The letter yells. You just write.”

Heather nodded and thanked them before rushing over to the Hufflepuff table. Chase was wiping her eyes as two girls reassured and comforted her. 

“Are you okay Chase?” Heather asked.

One Hufflepuff student looked nervously at her but she ignored it. “Y-yeah. That was a little..um  ..unexpected.” Chase said returning a handkerchief to one boy. “She only sent one to me though….”

“Because I’d let her have it. Still going to, mind.  She is not going to get away with that.”

“Was she always that horrible to you?” One of the Hufflepuff girls asked.

“She was kind of old fashioned and opinionated but she usually just grumbled at us.” Chase said.  Professor Sprout came down from the Head Table and approached Hufflepuff table. 

“Dear, are you..”

“I’m fine” Chase gave a weak laugh.  “I ...that was just a relative. She’s kind of awful. I’ll be fine.”    

“Can I have this?” Heather picked up the burned envelope and studied the return address.  She gave Chase a quick hug and hurried back over to her table, pocketing it. 

“Is she all right?” Astoria asked, looking over at Hufflepuff table concerned. 

“She’ll be fine I think” Heather said, sitting down.  “I’ve got the old bag’s address.”  

“We can take you to the post office in Hogsmeade” Ramona said

“Perfect” Heather said, putting the permission slip away in a safe place.  She rolled her eyes as Malfoy showed off the things his mother sent him. “Some of us have parents who  _ actually  _ love us” He said giving Heather a glance. 

“If that’s how you measure love then wait until Christmas.” She said eyeing Malfoy coldly. 

“Oi!  Draco! That was out of line” Gemma said.

“Oh please it was only a joke. Potter can toughen up” Montague snorted. 

“I’m trying to-”

“You’re trying to make everyone coddle each other and make sure nobody gets their poor  _ feelings _ hurt.” Montague said. “These aren’t your children, you don’t need to mummy them.” 

Gemma seethed but didn’t say anything else. 

“If it weren’t for the fact that we'd be expected to support him, I’d completely want him to be in the tournament.” Monte hissed. Schedules were passed out and Heather looked over hers. 

She had Care of Magical Creatures with the Gryffindors.  She could see Hermione again. Though she also imagined the other Slytherins might give her a hard time for it. 

She wouldn't care though. Hermione was her friend.  

"I'll be seeing you in Care Of Magical Creatures,Monte" she said.  

"Ah no, actually, you won't. You see I'm in third year" Monte said looking a bit embarrassed. "I am almost fourteen.  My birthday is a tad late in the year" 

"Oh...really? shame." She said. 

"I'm in fifth" Ramona admitted. 

"Third" Astoria said. 

The two other boys nodded along with her. 

Heather groaned. She had hoped she'd have some of her friends with her in classes. The rest of the day didn’t get much worse but it didn’t get much better either. Ramona told her that the first Hogsmeade weekend was coming up soon.  

She had that to look forward to.

\----

The week was uneventful until the Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.  Rumor had it that Malfoy and Ron almost got in a fight in the hallways, When Malfoy tried to cast a spell at Ron’s back , Moody turned him into a ferret.  Considering how Malfoy was quietly fuming later that day, Heather could only guess it to be true. The day after, the Slytherins had their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.

The moment some students began getting out their books, Moody told them. “You won’t need those.”  There was an excited murmuring throughout the class as Moody out a jar of spiders.

He smiled grimly looking over the class. “So.  Today we’re going to talk about-” He turned and wrote on the board. “Unforgivable Curses”

“Can any of you tell me what the most heavily punished curses are under Wizarding law?” 

There were a few murmurs but the class was mostly silent. It seemed like after Moody’s incident with Malfoy most of the students didn’t want to chance angering him. Heather had read about the Unforgivables in a book, not that she ever mentioned this knowledge to anyone. She raised her hand. 

“The Imperius Curse, the Torturing Curse and-”  Moody chuckled. 

“One at a time, lass” He said.  A few people looked to stare at her. “The imperius curse then.  I know many of your parents might know rather intimately of this one.  Considering it’s what they were supposedly under during the years He Who Must Not Be Named reigned.”

He took a spider out of the jar and pointed a wand at it, holding it in his palm. “Imperio!”

He made the spider do tricks and fling itself at various students.  He seemed to single out certain students, including Malfoy and his friends.  Normally this wouldn’t bother Heather. But Moody was a teacher. This kind of vindictiveness from a teacher towards certain students was inappropriate no matter who the targets were.  

“Total control. I could make it do anything I wanted.” He dangled the spider over Pansy watching her shudder and squirm. There was a glint in his eyes, something dark. Like he was highly amused doing this.  “Throw itself down one of your throats…”

"The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked, and everyone jumped. “Miss Potter, what was the other one?”

“The...The Torturing Curse”  She said wondering what Moody would do now.  He retrieved the spider and holding it again in his palm enlarged it.  “Crucio” As soon as the curse hit it, the spider began twitching and making soft but haunting sounds of pain.  Heather didn’t even know spiders could make sound. Everyone in the room seemed to pale and squirm slightly watching it. Moody had a very disturbing look in his eyes as he held the curse over the spider. 

“You’ve made your point Professor.”  Heather said. 

Everyone went very quiet, even more so than they already were, looking at her, perhaps wondering what he was going to do.

“....I believe I have.”  Moody lifted the curse. “Now...what’s the last one? I’m sure you are familiar with this one.”

Heather narrowed her eyes. “Thanks for the reminder professor. The last one is the Killing Curse.”

Moody held his wand to the spider and roared “Avada Kedavra!” 

With a green light, the spider stopped moving.  It was dead. 

The room was so silent you could hear the drop of a pin. Moody swiped the spider’s body onto the floor as if it were nothing, a speck of dust.  “Not so pleasant is it, seeing the act up close? There’s no way to shield, no countercurse. Only one known person has survived it and they’re standing-” Heather had enough. She got up grabbed her bag and walked out. 

The image of the spider dying still haunted her mind.  Had her parents died like that? Just a flash of green light.  Thankfully it was the last class of the day. She went up to her room and dumped her bag on the bed.  She didn’t like Moody one bit. 

She laid in her bed looking at the ceiling.  Not long after she was awoken by people coming in the room. “Hey Heather….”

Heather pulled herself up. 

“Pansy said you stormed out of Defense Against The Dark Arts.”  Ramona said walking over. 

“I did. That bloody  _ maniac  _ tortured and murdered a spider in front of us, and then he goes and singles me out in front of the whole class..f-for something...something I can’t even.” Heather Carlisle didn’t often cry. In fact she rarely did. In childhood she had once wandered off during a playdate and fell down stone steps.  She got a nasty bruise but pulled herself up without a tear. But right now, much to her embarrassment, she broke down in tears. Ramona put a hand on her shoulder.  

“Oh Heather I’m sorry.”  She said. 

Heather wiped her eyes.  “I’ll be fine.” she said. 

“I’m sure the other teachers will understand why you walked out.” Heather dreaded what Pansy was telling people. “Let’s get something to eat.”

“Sure.  I don’t want them to see..” Heather said, sniffling.  She shook her head. “Thanks Ramona”

“No problem.”  Heather walked to the Great Hall with Ramona, head held high and daring anyone to say a word. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out shorter than I meant for. The next chapters will be longer.

Sometime after the Defense Against the Dark Arts class Heather was called to Snape’s office.  As she walked into the office surrounded by strange things in jars all around she tried not to shiver. Snape offered her a chair , staring her down.  In that same creepy way he always seemed to be, fixated on her.

And she was  _ alone _ with him. She had to remember she had a plan for how to deal with Snape. She was going to use his favoritism against him and-oh merlin why’s he so creepy?

She took a deep breath. This was the man who had insulted her sister in potions class. 

“Ms. Potter, I have been made aware that you walked out of your Defense Against The Dark Arts class.” he started.

“Yes.  Professor Moody’s actions in class were very disturbing to me.  It felt like he was being vindictive to my classmates. And then he felt the need to single me out in my survival of the Killing Curse.”

“Have you considered that it merely pertained to the subject at hand.” Snape asked.

“...yes I suppose. I ...guess you could say I was a bit emotional. Seeing the killing curse used ..I guess it just really got to me.” she said. “I got emotional.”

“I understand that it is not easy for you given your history, Ms Potter, but the headmaster has decided that these are things you need to know.”  Snape said. “I will be speaking to Professor Moody and requesting that he be a little more sensitive in the future. You may go to your next class, Ms Potter.”

“Actually ...I had a thing I wanted to talk to you about. “ Heather took a deep breath. “My sister...I heard from her that you were quite harsh on her in class.  You took points for a misunderstanding without listening to her side.”

“I took points because she did not follow my instructions, Ms Potter.”

“I have Hermione’s memories of three years of lessons,  I know that you have a bias to Slytherin, Professor Snape.”  Heather said. “I know this benefits me, but I have good friends and acquaintances as well as family in other houses.  I don’t like seeing them suffer.”

“Ms Potter-”

“No. Its not okay. Part of why I had an issue with Moody is because he singled out students to torment. And it isn’t okay with me when you do it either.”   
  


“Ms Potter, It is not your job to criticize my job as your teacher.”

“Then be a  _ teacher _ , goddamnit!  Your job is to teach, not punish students for not knowing things.  I saw through Hermione’s eyes and I could see that a lot of students not in Slytherin weren’t learning much aside from avoiding their teacher’s ire!  Malfoy is able to openly bully students in your class without any punishment. Isn’t there something wrong with that? Slytherins shouldn’t get a pass.”  

“Ms Potter I believe you are out of bounds. I advise you to go to your common room and calm down before-”   
  
“Before what? You take points? When have you ever taken points from a Slytherin? You don’t! But other teachers do.  And I can make it so that Slytherin loses twice as much for every point it gets….and I will.”

Snape stared at her.  Heather gulped down her fear. “Are you threatening me, Ms Potter.”

“Yes.  I can make things very difficult for you if I wanted to.  And I would. Unless….unless you are fair to my sister...and Hermione Granger.”

“You do realize that your fate lies with me.  I can make the decision to have you expelled Ms Potter.” Snape said.  

“But you won’t.”  she was taking a bit of a chance here, and she hoped she was right. 

“What makes you say that?”

“Because I’m in _ your  _ house.  And you have a blind spot when it comes to your own house. Lay off Chase Carlisle and Hermione Granger.  Or everyone will know how unwilling you are to punish your own house.”  

“Please leave,  Ms Potter.” He leaned forward. “And know that you are treading on thin ice.” 

\-----

There was a kind of cold tension between Heather and her head of house since that conversation.  On the first Hogsmeade weekend the two locked eyes and stared at each other for what felt like several moments before Snape took her permission slip and called for the next student.   

“Wow… what’s going on between you and Professor Snape?” Ramona asked.

“Nothing...we just had a little disagreement a bit ago.” Heather said. 

“You two just locked eyes for almost three minutes” Monte pointed out, rushing to catch up with the girls. “I wouldn’t call that a little disagreement.”

“Come on. It’s no big deal”  Privately Heather shuddered to imagine the reaction of her friends if they knew that she threatened to kneecap Slytherin’s hopes at the house cup, just to get something out of Snape. “Now… you mentioned a stationary shop?” 

“Oh no, you have to see more than the stationary shop” Astoria insisted.  She was very right. Hogsmeade was amazing. There were many stores to go to, from a prank shop (Heather kept an eye on that one. Some of the things there could be repurposed to something useful to her) ,a splendid candy shop (they came out with bags worth of sweets) , and a wizarding equipment shop (Heather came out with a Sneakoscope.) 

Finally they stopped at Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop and picked up a howler and some quills. They finished their trip at the Three Broomsticks.  Heather gulped down a whole mug of butterbeer. 

“Hey! Heather!” Chase hurried over with Hermione and Ron by her side. Heather’s Slytherin friends stood by awkwardly as Chase and Heather hugged. 

Chase had loaded up quite a bit herself, mostly on candy from Honeydukes and eccentric clothing bits from Gladrags.  

“Er.. hello there” Hermione said to the others.

“Hello..” There was a lot of awkwardness between them as Slytherins and Gryffindors were normally fierce rivals.  Ron eyed the Slytherins aside from Heather somewhat suspiciously. 

“So ...what’d you get?” Chase asked. 

“Oh just some things” Heather said. “Sampling what the stores had to offer. “

“Who are you sending a Howler to?” Ron asked nodding at one of the bags. 

“Our former guardian” Heather said, “She sent one to Chase so.. Payback is in order.” 

“Aww, you’re getting revenge for me.”  Chase said fondly. “Have I mentioned I love you, Heather.”

“Yes,” Heather said with a smile. The meeting was rather brief, and Hermione was pulled away when trying to ask Heather something.  She’d have to get with Hermione to find out what.  

“Well they’re certainly an..er interesting bunch” Ramona said. The subject was passed over quickly and soon they got to discussing the foreign students who’d be coming. All in all it was a rather nice outing,  Once she got back to the castle, Heather made straight for the Owlery. It was a round stone room that stank of owl and owl dropping. Heather scrunched her nose and pulled out her envelopes and stationary. 

She quickly got to writing two notes, the first, a response to her parents. As much as she loathed to do it she couldn’t ignore them forever.

_ Dearest , darling Mum and Dad _

_ I’ll have you know that we were practically rescued from that awful cottage.  We didn’t decide to go find them. But you may find that when you lock up a child in a house , they’re quite eager to get out.  I am well aware that the wizarding world can be dangerous.. Life is dangerous. Existing is dangerous.   _

_ I’m so sorry for the money you lost, really. I am.  Still Mum, you knew there was a chance of this. You probably should have considered that.  We like Hogwarts, we have friends here. We're with people we have things in common with.   _

_  I must say I love how you emphasized almost everything having to do with money, Really shows where your priorities are. Money money money.  _

_ I suppose we’ll talk again at Christmas,   _

_ Thanks for signing the permission slips. _

_ -Heather _

She sent that one with a school owl and saved Hedwig for the one she really wanted to send. Licking her lips she put pen to paper and started writing on the Howler-charmed paper. She took great pleasure in the fact that this would be yelled , hopefully in old Aggie’s face. 

You did not make Heather Carlisle’s sister cry without  _ serious  _ repercussions. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has come to my attention that I misread the name of Ilvermorny. From here on out I'll be spelling it correctly. I apologize for the mistake.

Aggie Mc Kinnon was having a fairly decent day so far, she had a friend over for tea and they were gossiping with one another.  Talking about so and so’s absolutely bratty daughter. Aggie was going on about how if she had a daughter the girl would have proper manners.  It was such a shame that those two girls she looked over didn’t stay long enough to pick up better behavior. 

A snowy owl flew in with a red envelope.

“Aggie what’s that?” One of her friends asked.. 

“Oh it’s that dratted owl….the redheaded girl’s I believe” Aggie said taking the note. She opened the note and immediately it started shouting in the voice of a fourteen year old girl.

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE YOU ANCIENT OLD CUNT?  WE DIDN’T RUN OFF, WE WERE  _ RESCUED _ . RESCUED BECAUSE YOU HAD US LOCKED AWAY IN A GODDAMN HOUSE!  YOU CAN SELL WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT WE HAVE ALL OUR THINGS WITH US. NEITHER OF US WANT TO SET FOOT IN YOUR FOUL HOUSE AGAIN! WE ARE HAPPIER HERE THAN WE EVER WERE THERE! YOU CAN TELL MY IDIOT PARENTS THAT THEY WASTED THEIR MONEY TRYING TO KEEP US IN. GOOD EFFING BYE, BITCH” 

There was a shocked silence.

“My word...is that…”

“...what a classless young lady.” Aggie shook her head.

“Yes, see., That’s what spoiling your children does.  No respect.” She tutted ,but was still a bit rattled. What right did that little brat have talking to her that way?

\------

"Your sister….she's rather interesting" Ernie Macmillan said, over the table at lunch that afternoon. "A Slytherin but doesn't seem to care much for the general culture of Slytherin.  Not that I'm complaining" 

"Interesting?" Chase asked swallowing a mouthful of food. “Oh Heather?  She’s...pretty calculating, but not like, in a bad way. She’s always looked out for me when I was picked on, and she was so tough that nobody picked on her for long. I love her so much.” 

“She seems to care about you a lot.”  Susan Bones said, picking at her food. “You mentioned that your parents were away a lot.”

“Oh yeah they’re never around.” Chase said. “They would buy us stuff because they missed all our school events working...and left us alone a lot.  Once they went away on holiday for two weeks and they left us alone with $500 and a note. We were nine.”

“That’s horrible!”

“Yeah.. “ Chase said, “anyway, Heather seems cold sometimes but I can tell she really cares.” She looked over to the Slytherin table feeling an ache at the separation between them. “I miss her.”

“I’m sure you’ll get plenty of chances to talk with your sister.”

\-------

Heather and the other Slytherins were utterly shocked when Moody announced that he would be casting the Imperius curse on them to teach them how to resist.  Nobody dared raise any arguments perhaps remembering his last lesson. Heather got a bad feeling. She had heard that Moody was a good friend of the Weasleys and Dumbledore. She had a favorable opinion of at least the Weasley’s parents so far.  

But there was something about Moody she didn’t trust. The way he took so much pleasure in the discomfort of the Slytherins because of the sins of their parents.  He shouldn’t be a teacher, in Heather’s opinion, perhaps because of his time as a dark wizard hunter.

“I have special permission to use it, for the purpose of teaching you.  You need to be prepared for what’s out there. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!” Everyone jumped at that. 

“If you know what it feels like, you can fight it.  However if you’re uncomfortable with it you can leave”  He looked straight at Malfoy with both eyes. His gaze darted to Heather as though wondering if she was going to leave again. But there was no way in hell Heather was going to skip this.  She wanted to be prepared.

She watched with some level of disgust to Moody as he controlled each of the Slytherin students, making them make utter fools of themselves.  And clearly enjoying every moment of it. 

“Potter,Heather!  Come over here Potter.”  Moody called. Heather took a deep breath and walked over.  Moody pointed a wand at her and said. “Imperio”

It was the most wonderful feeling. Heather felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in her head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. She stood there feeling immensely relaxed, only dimly aware of everyone watching her

And then she heard Mad-Eye Moody's voice, echoing in some distant chamber of her empty brain “Jump onto the desk. . . jump onto the desk. . .”

Heather bent her knees obediently, preparing to spring. 

“Jump onto the desk....”

“Why, though?” Another voice spoke in the back of her brain. “Stupid thing to do, really,” said the voice.

 “Jump onto the desk.... “

“No, I don't think I will, thanks” said the other voice, a little more firmly. . . 

“JUMP”

“no, I don't really want to.”

“Jump! NOW!” The next thing Heather felt was sudden harsh pain. 

She had both jumped and tried to prevent herself from jumping and the result was that she'd smashed headlong into the desk knocking it over, and, by the feeling in her legs, fractured both kneecaps.

"Now, that's more like it!" growled Moody's voice, and suddenly, Heather felt the empty, echoing feeling in his head disappear. She remembered exactly what was happening, and the pain in her knees seemed to double.

 "Look at that, you lot. . . Potter fought! She fought it, and she damn near beat it! We'll try that again, Potter, and the rest of you, pay attention - watch her eyes, that's where you see it - very good, Potter, very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling you!" 

Heather was put through it until she could fight it off entirely, leaving her sore and limping out of the classroom.  She went to go find her friends in the great hall. She felt a little shaken, still thinking of the disturbing enjoyment Moody got out of it  Did he enjoy it with her as much as the others? Probably not considering she wasn’t a child of one of He Who Must Not Be Named's followers. But who could be sure with that maniac? 

\--------

As it got closer to the arrival of the other schools, it became more apparent that Hogwarts’ staff was trying their best to impress.  Much to their discomfort the portraits were cleaned, and the suits of armor were scrubbed until they shined. The caretaker, Filch, scared some first years to tears over tracking mud in the castle.  Heather did her best to keep her own shoes clean.  

One afternoon after dodging out of the way of staff members cleaning the place, Heather relaxed in the library over some books on magical history. Binns was absolutely dull and ill befitting such a fascinating subject. 

“You know quite a few of those could stand to go over the subject of house elves.” a voice said. Heather looked up to see Hermione standing there with a box of what looked like badges. 

“What are those for?” Heather asked.

“It’s a group I’ve started. SPEW. Society for The Promotion of Elfish Welfare” Hermione explained taking out one to show her.  Heather looked over it.

“I suppose you want me to join?” Heather asked.

“Y-yes.  I thought it might be two sickles to join, and it would pay for the leaflets-”

“....I’m sorry but, I think I might wait, to do some research of my own.” Heather said handing it back. “I do understand where you’re getting at.. But from what I’ve read about house elves freeing them from this place might not be the right way to go about it.”

“B-but it’s slavery, Heather. Slave labor is making your food, and cleaning your room-”

“But how much of it is compulsion from wizards, and how much is in a house elf’s nature? Not to mention, if Dumbledore is against the way purebloods treat their house elves, then this castle could possibly be the best place for them. I don’t know that for sure but, it’s a thing to think about.  The house elf we saw at the Cup was absolutely distraught at losing her job. For all we know freeing house elves might just cause them to kill themselves in shame from being fired. “ Heather said, “When Chase and I tried to talk to the house elves at Aunt Aggie’s they always said that it was a house elf’s honor to help and serve. “

“But house elves are brainwashed and-”

“If you’re trying to help a group while insisting they’re too brainwashed to know what’s good for them are you really helping them? Or are you imposing your own will on them?” Heather said.  Hermione looked at her, speechless. 

“I’m not trying to be mean here.  I just want you to think about what you’re doing and maybe consider listening to the house elves if your whole goal is their welfare.” 

Hermione nodded. “I..I see…”

“Please don’t take this as an insult, Hermione.  Your heart’s in the right place. I love that you care so much” She hated to see Hermione like this.  

“Th..thank you Heather.”  She took her box and timidly left.  Heather opened her mouth to add something but she didn’t know what to say.  Would it help anyway? Or just come out as a harsh criticism? Heather sighed and went back to her books. 

\---------

Anticipation and excitement were thick in the air that day , the day that the delegates from the other schools were to arrive. Even Heather found it hard to focus in lessons throughout the day. For once in Potions class Heather was too distracted by her excitement to get steamed at Snape’s obvious favoritism towards Slytherins or think about his original plan to ‘test’ the students’ antidotes.  

Her heart soared at the sound of the bell and she hurried to pick up her bag and take it to her common room.  She met up with Ramona and Astoria, and then Monte, Harper and Gil joined them.  

“Oh thank goodness. This cuts Divination short!  Less being depressed by Trewlany’s predictions of gloom and doom.”  Gil said.  

“You get depressed?  I find her theatrics quite amusing”  Monte said with a chuckle.

Snape sent a look to them and Monte and Gil instantly quieted down.  They were led up to the entrance hall with the students from other houses.  Heads of house snapped at the students instructing them to straighten up their appearance.  

Heather rolled her eyes as Monte pulled out a small comb from his sleeve and fixed his hair. “Montague, please remove that appalling coloring from your hair” Snape eyed Monte critically. 

Monte sighed and waved his wand vanishing the shimmering blue and purple from his fringe. 

In the Hufflepuff crowd, Chase fluffed her hair and straightened her head band.  She stood with some of the other Hufflepuff girls eagerly whispering and giggling, fawning over Cedric Diggory.  The heads of houses led them out in front of the school. It was a clear evening though rather cold. The first years moved forward in excitement, chattering in tones of excitement. 

Heather looked up at the sky wondering how wizarding schools would arrive. Her experience with the wizarding world suggested that it would likely be outrageous and over the top.  She was not disappointed on that expectation either.

Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers - "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!" 

Many people moved to look closer at the sky shouting out suggestions.  Heather quietly stared at the shape slowly growing in the sky as it got closer. Soon it was revealed to be a gigantic powder blue carriage drawn by some truly gigantic golden-colored pegasi, the size of elephants. 

Students were knocked back as the carriage landed with a bit of a bounce of its wheels. Heather pulled herself up off of her friends and looked around.

People were stumbling to their feet all around, mostly in the first three rows.

Heather just had time to see that the door of the carriage bore a coat of arms (two crossed, golden wands, each emitting three stars) before it opened.

A brown haired boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully. Then Heather saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage - a shoe the size of a child's sled - followed, almost immediately, by the largest woman she had ever seen in her life. The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. A few people gasped.

As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face; large, black, liquid-looking eyes; and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.

Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman. Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand.

 Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it. "My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

 "Dumbly-dorr," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

 "In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.

 "My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her. 

Two gigantic groups of boys and girls followed all shivering and looking up at the castle with expressions of apprehension. One group was around the age of Heather and her friends while the other, smaller was a group in their late teens.  Quite a few of them had wrapped shawls or scarves around them.  

Two nearly identical blond students wore identical fur trimmed coats and looked a bit warmer than the others.They exchanged glances, while fiddling with hand fans. 

"As Karkaroff  and ze American arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked. 

“They should be here any moment," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

 "Warm up, I think," said Madame Maxime. "But ze 'orses -"

"Our gamekeeper will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore, "the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other - er - charges."

Heather wondered what those  charges were.  

"My steeds require - er - forceful 'andling," said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any gamekeeper at Hogwarts could be up to the job. "Zey are very strong. . . ." 

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," said Dumbledore, smiling. 

"Very well," said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?" Heather rolled her eyes at that.  It sounded like her parents’ level of pointless shows of excessive wealth. 

 "It will be attended to," said Dumbledore, also bowing.

 "Come," said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

They stood around shivering, waiting for the other two schools murmuring to one another, perhaps guessing what the next group would have with them. Not long after, there was the sound of chugging and a small dark form could be seen moving toward them. As it got closer and skimmed over the lake many people gasped and pointed.  

The light of the school revealed it as a gigantic steam train, moving on no tracks at all across the lake until it stopped right before them.  It was mostly silver, brass, and cranberry red and navy Ravenclaw blue. 

People murmured quietly while Dumbledore spoke serenely. “That would be Ilvermorny, I do believe.”   As soon as he said that the doors at the front opened with a hiss and a man in a navy blue robe fastened by a Gordian Knot stepped out. He had graying curly hair and looked quite a bit aged though certainly not as much as Dumbledore. 

Multiple doors hissed behind him and the students started to file out, as well as four professors. The students wore cloaks, long and short, fastened by a Gordian Knot, and underneath a white shirt, blue vest and red and blue tie. They wore dark blue and red plaid skirts or pants, and Heather noticed, much to her envy, that some of the girls were wearing dress pants rather than skirts.  

“Albus, what a pleasure to finally see you in person.” The curly haired man in robes said, Probably the headmaster of Ilvermorny.

“The pleasure is all mine, Agilbert.”  Dumbledore walked forward and shook his hand. 

“Have the others arrived yet?” Agilbert asked.

“Madame Maxime and her pupils are inside warming up.” Dumbledore said. “We’re still waiting on Igor and his pupils.”  As the students and the four professors came forward, Heather noticed different patches on their vests or cloaks. 

 “Might I introduce the heads of our four houses.” Headmaster Agilbert moved aside as the four wizards and witches all nodded and shook Dumbledore’s hand. 

“Clarence Landers, head of Pukwudgie house” A somewhat balding brown haired wizard in modest robes stepped forward first as he was introduced to shake hands. Following him were a group of students with a brown stitched patch

“Zachary Sutherland, head of Thunderbird house.” Another wizard with a western style cowboy hat over dark hair and jeans and a flashy belt under his robes moved forward.  The students that followed him had a red stitched patch

“Stella Hawkins, head of Horned Serpent house” A black witch with wavy hair in a bun in an elegant white blouse and dress pants, moved forward. Her students had a green stitched patch. 

“Chester Barton,head of Wampus house”  A militaristic looking wizard with a buzz cut walked forward and greeted Dumbledore. The students following him had a blue stitched patch.  

Among the younger set of students, once again the same age as Heather and Chase, followed, Heather spotted a few familiar faces from the cup.  Following Professor Sutherland was the fiery haired Blaize who waved at them with a grin. He looked a bit odd in a uniform compared to his previous outfit.  

“A pleasure.  I’m sure that our students will find much in common with one another.Would you like to step in and warm up?” Dumbledore asked.

“Oh, I think we can join you in waiting” Ilvermorny’s headmaster said, smiling.  

The groups of Ilvermorny houses joined alongside the Hogwarts houses with Horned Serpent joining alongside Slytherin.  The students nodded to each other, a bit cooler than other pairs who quickly got to talking to one another. A girl with light brown skin and sleek black hair spoke. 

“Hello , it’s nice to be here.” 

Heather groaned and Malfoy approached. “Name’s Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.”

“Nice to meet you,James Bond.  I’m Cameo Black.” The girl said , smirking as Malfoy stared for a moment. 

“Must be a muggle thing” Pansy Parkinson said derisively. “Rather unbefitting of a Black” 

“I see things really are pretty different here” Cameo said.  Gemma Farley shot Malfoy and Pansy a glare before walking over and more politely greeting the Horned Serpent students. Montague stiffly greeted them.

“Oh what a graceful display of manners , Bartholomew” Monte muttered quietly as Heather, Ramona ,Gil and Harper chuckled. 

Not much else was said as students watched the grounds and sky for any signs of Durmstrang. 

"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!" From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water - except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks - and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor. 

Many people gasped or moved forward to get a better look. 

What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool. . . and then Heather saw the rigging....

“It’s a mast” She said. 

“So Durmstrang has a ship.” Monte said thoughtfully. 

Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.

People were disembarking; they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. All of them seemed to be built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle... but then, as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the entrance hall, it was clear that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.   
  


"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?" 

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," 

Dumbledore replied. Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice; when he stepped into the light pouring from the front doors of the castle they saw that he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee (finishing in a small curl) did not entirely hide his rather weak chin. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.  Karkaroff turned to Ilvermorny’s headmaster. “And…”

“Agilbert Fontaine” The Ilvermorny headmaster said nodding. Maybe it was Heather’s imagination, but he didn’t sound quite as warm as Dumbledore was. 

“Yes, yes, pleasure to meet you dear fellow!” Professor Karakoff said. He looked up at the school. 

"Dear old Hogwarts," he said, smiling; his teeth were rather yellow, "How good it is to be here, how good.. . . Viktor, come along, into the warmth. . . you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold..." Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. 

As the boy passed, Heather caught a glimpse of a prominent curved nose and thick black eyebrows.  Murmurs and whispers rang through the crowd mostly from the Hogwarts students. 

“That’s Krum!  Viktor Krum!”


	14. Chapter 14

The muttering and whispers around Krum continued all the way as they all filed into the building.  As much as she enjoyed Quidditch, Heather couldn’t help sighing and rolling her eyes as some Hogwarts students tried to get a closer look at Krum.   Give him some _room_ , people.  

“Wow, what a surprise” Ramona said

“Isn’t it? I had no idea he was so young” Harper said, staring slightly at Krum.

“I hope he isn’t expecting peace and quiet

Up at the staff table, Filch, the caretaker, was adding chairs. He was wearing his moldy old tailcoat in honor of the occasion. He added two additional chairs on either side of Dumbledore. Interesting. The headmasters of the four schools filed in and took their seat.  Except Dumbledore remained standing. 

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - most particularly - guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable." 

One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably a derisive laugh.

Heather felt a stab of annoyance.  She was no fan of Dumbledore, but the girl’s behavior was just rude.  

“You can leave, you priss” Ramona muttered. 

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"  Once he finished, he returned to speaking with Karkaroff.

The plates in front of them filled with food as usual.  There was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Harry had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign. 

Pansy squealed in disgust at one dish,  a casserole of cheesy elbow noodles. “Eughhh what is _that_?”

“It’s mac and cheese” One of the Wampus students said, sounding annoyed. 

“ _Oh_ ” Pansy said, “how...interesting.”

“More for us” A girl with flaming red hair and freckles loaded up her plate.  Heather noticed that Monte was eyeing another boy, a burly Wampus 4th year with scar marks on his arms. It wasn’t exactly a look of admiration either.

“What you lookin’ it, fancy boy?” the boy narrowed his eyes at him.

“I’ve never seen a human being eat food so much like a dog” Monte said raising an eyebrow. He nodded to the boy’s spiked choker, “You even have a collar.”

“....yeah well I’ve never seen a guy dye his hair purple when it wasn’t losing a bet” The boy shot back. 

“...what…” Heather looked between the glares of hate the two were giving each other. “What’s your _problem_ , Monte?”

“The Montagues and the Carrows kind of have an ancient rivalry that’s been going back for generations.  They hate each other” Gil explained. He pointed to the tattoo of a C on the Wampus boy’s forearm. 

“Oh….and is there a reason why they hate each other so much?” Heather asked.

“Probably but it’s been buried by now” Gil shrugged. 

“Monte you don’t want to get in a fight with our guests” Astoria said. “The professors will be furious.”

“Snape might actually take away points for his _own_ house” Heather said, “Wouldn’t that be a shocker?”  

“Yeah Monte, you don’t want to lose Slytherin points” Ramona said. 

A Wampus 7th year reached over and smacked the Carrow boy in the back of the head. “Hey you. Keep your cool. Don’t pick a fight with the host school.” The boy rubbed the back of his head and glared. 

“Ty , if you lose us points I will hex you” One girl said. 

“Go ahead ‘n try!”

“Let them fight.  I will take on the winner” An older Durmstrang student said with a German accent.”would you like to fight a grown wizard little boys?"

Both Ty and Monte sputtered in protest.

“Then shut up” 

From then the two rivals stuck to glaring at one another throughout the meal. “Monte please, just because your families hate each other doesn’t mean you have to.”  

“He’s mocking me, _Look_ at him” Monte said in an undertone.

“I think you’re both just glaring at each other,” Heather said rolling her eyes.  _Boys_

“Don’t you roll your eyes at me!”

“You’re being ridiculous, Tim.”  Monte looked a little surprised. People rarely called him by his proper name. Heather did it on the rare occasion she was annoyed or angry with him. It was enough to make him drop the subject, however grudgingly

\----

At the Gryffindor table the students spoke and traded stories and things about their school enthusiastically with one another. Blaze moved over to Ginny with a grin. “So..”

“No thanks.” 

“She’s _not_ interested” Ron glared at him from the other side of the table.  “And she’s got six older brothers, so if you plan on trying anything.” 

Blaise went rather pale. “Oh. _shiiiit_ ” 

“I’d leave it, man” A seventh year clapped him on the shoulder. 

“If ya wanna keep your balls that is” another Thunderbird boy said , met by hooting laughter from students of both schools.. Hermione made a face and shook her head in disgust. Ron was quietly snickering. 

“Fred and George might be able to do something nasty to you.. And Bill is a curse breaker who’s seen some right dark curses.”

“Buddy...I’m good. I don’t need ta know how all yer brothers could kill me.” 

“Do you try to make advances on every girl you meet?” Hermione eyed him critically. 

“I try my luck with a _lot_ of ‘em, usually turning out better than this” he said stabbing at his meatloaf and pie. “Specially when I hit the racin’ tracks”

“Racing?”

“Broom racin’ man!  It’s big down south. Almos’ as big as Quidditch is over here. I take it y’all don’t have any racin track?”

“The Qudditch stadium is big enough I’m sure.” Hermione said. “But they might be using it for the Tournament” 

“Can’t use it fer everythin can they?” Blaize said thoughtfully.

“Depends on what the tasks are.  Why did they bring you lot if Dumbledore’s only allowing 7th years anyway?” Ron asked.

“To watch!” A brown haired girl with a denim barrettes in her hair said , leaning forward.  Around her neck was a necklace with a tiny plastic robot. “This is a once in a lifetime event you know! And it's amazing that we were even included, honestly!”

“We’re probably doing a project on it in some way” A dark haired girl wearing a black choker said.  “Fair trade off for coming here I guess.”

“Let’s not think about that right now Holls” The girl with the robot necklace said, “This feast is great!”

“Mandy, hand me those potatoes”

Throughout the meal Ron kept trying to get glimpses as a girl over at the Ravenclaw table with the other Beauxbatons students. 

“She’s a veela!”

“Of course she isn’t… nobody else is staring at her like an idiot.” However unknown to Hermione a few boys were gazing at her breath-taken.  

“Daaaayum.  I betcha I kin -”

“Don’t-Blaze you’ll make a fool of yourself.” An older student said. 

“I speak French!  Sorta” Blaze said.

“You speak french?” Hermione asked.

“‘M from Louisiana. New Orlean’s doesn’t have a part called the French Quarter fer nothin’”  Blaze said through a mouthful of the fried catfish. 

“Do you live there, in the french quarter?”

“I’ve lived there before with one’a my foster parents.”  Blaze said 

"Oh?  Where do you live now?"

"Near the river in a boarding house for runaways. Run by a mean ol' lady called Miz Hester" he said.  "I get fed an' shit yanno" 

"And you have to listen to a crazy old lady yelling at you"  Mandy McKinnon said. 

"Does she yell at you often?" Hermione asked.

"Oh all the time! Miz Hester's always tellin' me I'm an awful wicked child who's gonna go to hell" he laughed, "not because I'm a wizard course.. I'm just always bein' bad."

"That sounds horrible" Hermione said. 

"Eh it rolls off your back." He shrugged.  

"Blaze has the second most detentions in our year.  Second only to Tybalt Carrow in Wampus who's fighting every person who looks at him wrong" 

Hermione almost dropped her silverware. "D-did you say Carrow?"

"Yeah...why?" 

“That’s…”

“They’re dark. One of You Know Who’s” Ron said. 

“Oh the ones over here are?  Interesting. Ours are super pureblood but not like...doing anything illegal.” Holly said. “Guess they were one of the families that came here to escape their evil nutty relatives.  Mine came over here but not because of that. Though unfortunately my line is basically dead over here.”

“What’s your surname?” Ron asked.

“Potter.” Hermione, Ron and a few other people stared. “What?”

“Your...cousin or something is the Girl Who Lived”:One student said.  “Harriet Potter. Though she goes by Heather now. Think that’s the name the muggles she lives with gave her.” 

“...why is my cousin living with muggles?  Holly asked. “Didn’t anyone think to send her over to us?”  

“Uh well…”

“I think it was Dumbledore” Ron said. Holly looked over to a brown haired boy down the table.” Hey Pete!  We need to talk to Hogwarts’ headmaster. Asap! Our cousin has been living with some random muggles”

“They aren’t random! Well at least I think the ones she was living with before weren’t  I head they were her mum’s relatives, the Dursleys” Ron said. Hermione put a hand to her mouth.  She remembered her parents discussing that trial.

“...you mean the Dursleys who were in the news ten years ago for locking a child in a freaking closet?” Holly asked sounding dangerously quiet. “ _Those_ Dursleys?”

“...oh I guess that’s why she was adopted” Ron said. Ginny sighed and slapped a palm to her forehead. “Did they really?”

“ _YES,_ it was all over the news, even over here” Holly said. She gripped the table tightly. “Unbelievable! It’s like English wizards don’t even acknowledge us because we crossed a damn ocean.”  The table went quiet staring at Holly and Pete, who fixed glares at Dumbledore. 

\-----

Dinner soon disappeared and was replaced by desserts.  After the desserts cleared Dumbledore stood up once again.

"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Quadiwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" - there was a smattering of polite applause - "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Quadiwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Fontaine, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

 "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch." 

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students; Dennis Creevey actually stood on his chair to see it properly, but, being so tiny, his head hardly rose above anyone else's.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways.. their magical prowess - their daring - their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger." 

At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.

 "As you know, four champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames. 

Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall. 

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and  school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

 "To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.” 

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

Once he finished, the dull roar of talking and muttering rose up again.  Holly and Pete Potter went directly to their headmaster , who was on his way to follow the crowd of Thunderbirds and explained the situation. Furrowing his brow in concern the headmaster nodded and went to return to the high table.

When he found a moment alone with the headmasters he spoke.

“We need to talk, Albus. About the matter of Harriet Potter.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shortish chapter but I wanted to end it with that. Also I know in canon Harry is entered under an extra school but I felt like four schools was already a lot and thought I'd spare Cedric..for now.
> 
> Anyway things are gonna get fairly different from canon after this and I'm so excited to start to drift from canon. Following the points of canon is much more complicated and exhausting than i realized. (Honestly I'm enjoying writing this fic's sequel as I write this, because the sequel is completely off the rails of canon. )
> 
> Anyway hope you enjoy!

“Why what about her, Agilbert?” Dumbledore asked, honestly surprised. 

“I’ve been informed that you made the decision to place Harriet with the Dursleysl. Is this true?” Professor Fontaine asked, hoping it was false.  He had a high opinion of the gracious Hogwarts Headmaster so far and he would hate to believe Albus could do such a thing. 

“Why, yes.  I believed that Lily Potter’s sacrifice invoked the blood wards necessary to protect Harry, all her sister had to do was seal them by taking him in, which she did-” he said. “It was quite troublesome she was taken out of their care-”

“Albus, have you..have you _ read _ the trial records of what they did? Those people are monsters.   _ They forced a toddler to live in a closet for Merlin’s sake _ , to.. To work like a house elf!.  Did… did you even think to contact relatives abroad? The Potters were still very prominent in the United States. I know for a fact that Henry and Hestia or Franklin and Joyce would have been more than happy to take the girl in. You could have contacted  _ them _ .  Their children found out today that their cousin was the victim of those Dursley people.” 

“Agilbert, I insist that this is none of your concern-”

“None of my concern?  A child who could have had a happier childhood-”

“Agilbert what’s been done has been done-”

“And clearly you have no remorse considering that you thought it was unfortunate that Harriet was removed-”

“Because she is at greater risk in a different home without blood magic protecting her.”

“From Voldemort!  Not from her own flesh and blood.  Do you have any idea how many children, wizard and muggle have died from abuse from their own family.” Agilbert Fontaine fumed. He was honestly sickened.  That someone he worked with for the Tournament that he had confided in and trusted, was capable of  _ this _ .

“Agilbert, this is none of your concern!  Ms Potter is at Hogwarts and is safer than anywhere else. She is healthy and she is well cared for by her current relatives. I have personally seen to it. We are finished here” With that Dumbledore walked away leaving Professor Fontaine speechless.

\-----------

On the morning after the feast more students than ever were getting up early to submit their names. Heather,however, was taking the opportunity to sleep in.

She got up at noon, enjoying the quiet of the Slytherin dorms and common room while she could. Certainly with the Durmstrang students and Wampus students staying with them it would be considerably crowded. As she walked into the common room she noticed it seemed,no, it  _ was _ bigger than it used to be.  

On one of the couches Tybalt Carrow was wrestling with and snogging some fifth year boy, they looked as if they were  both fighting and kissing. With a look of disgust, Montague came over and sprayed them both with water from his wand.

Tybalt glowered at him and gave him a rude hand gesture. “You wanna go, Montague filth?”

“I’ll have you know that I’m a  _ prefect _ . “Montague said self importantly. “If you want to be disgusting ,save it for your own school or go outside.”

“Why bother? Folks have to look at your ugly ass face everyday.” 

It was a sign of her sheer hatred for Monte’s older brother that Heather said nothing to Tybalt. She  _ still _ thought the Wampus boy was an obnoxious, fight-happy idiot so far, but not nearly as bad as the chauvinistic prefect. She shook her head and walked on down to the Great Hall. Her group of usual friends waited for her talking avidly about who had already put their name in the goblet. 

\-----

As all the students chatted and some made a spectacle of trying to get past the Age Line, one particular Durmstrang student was looking around.  Lars Kerstein had a reputation after a student he tried to mentor went to a professor to keep him away. After that most people avoided him and only a brave few attempted- but did not succeed- in trying to antagonize him.  Most of the younger students became afraid him after learning what he supposedly did.  

Well maybe he did do what they said, but for his own reasons.  He was told that the only reason he wasn’t expelled was that he was a skilled wizard and decent student. He could take that as a compliment.  Here though, were many young pretty targets ripe for the picking. None of the students from the other three schools knew his dratted reputation. 

This morning he had almost gotten a shot with the young English boy from the previous night who had been bickering with the American.  He would have to be clever in approaching him and getting him alone. It would take time, he told himself. For now he looked to the Hufflepuffs and Pukwudgies for an easier target.  A blond boy, with nice clear blue eyes and a freckled face,. Lars got up and approached him , holding back the temptation to put his hand on his shoulder. 

‘“Good morning. Ilvermorny?”

“Y-yeah” The boy said, with perhaps the shadow of a nervous smile.

“What is your name?”

“Dane..um sir.”

“My name is Lars , sir is my father.  I would like to show you the ship, come with me.”  He said, finally giving in and clapping a hand on the boy’s shoulder.  What a nice build the boy had. 

“Oh..uh th-th-thaat’s...that’s really nice of you, Lars.  I ..um..if my Professor says its okay-”

“Oh don’t worry,  we can explain after, I’m sure he would not mind.”  His blood will look so pretty in a jar, Pretty like him.   


“You sure… he seemed to want me for-”

“He has many more important things to do,  I’m sure, please come with me.” The blond nodded and started to follow him.  It was all perfect ..until a familiar voice rang out

“KERSTEIN!” Lars swore under his breath.  Krum. Ever since Krum had spotted him after dark with another student he had been annoyingly aware of him.  Krum made his way over, thick brows furrowing. “What are you doing with that student?”

“I was merely showing him our impressive ship.” Lars said evenly.  Curse Krum. Curse Krum to hell.

“Alone?.” Krum asked, narrowing his eyes. “Why should I believe you do not intend to harm him? I know what kind of scum you are.”  He looked to the boy. “Stay away from him. He has hurt younger students before.” The boy’s eyes went wide and he backed away, hurrying to some older classmates. 

Lars shook with rage.  Krum, and his admirers, and undeserved fame for being a stupid Quidditch player. Bah!  Curse Krum. “You will be  _ very _ sorry.”  

“Headmaster Karkaroff should not have brought you.” Krum said quietly.

“Karkaroff knows I have talent. Just because I am not famous for catching little balls in the air-” Lars said derisively.

“Instead you hunt  _ children _ to harm for your twisted experiments!” Krum said furiously.  “I hope everyone learns what you are.” His voice raised. “You are a disgrace to Durmstrang.” 

“Where does your mind come up with such terrible things?  Perhaps you are a darker wizard than people realize. Wouldn’t that be a headline?” Lars smiled as Krum stepped back glaring. “Famous Quidditch player, truly a twisted criminal?”  

He walked away.  Curse Krum to hell.

\-----

Dane sat close to the older Pukwudgies and Hufflepuffs, barely looking back at that Durmstrang guy.  He  _ had _ been pretty weird.  A few of the older students looked at the exchange between the two Durmstrang students and it him. 

“Buddy, you ok?” Chance Beauragard ruffled his hair. 

“Y-yeah..c-can I um.. Just sit here w-with you?” Dane asked. 

“Sure. Here have some more of this stuff, it’s like fries back home.”  Chance said. “What was that all about?”

“I would stay away from that Durmstrang fellow.” A Hogwarts boy said. “I’ve heard awful funny things about what they teach at that school. And they seem to only admit purebloods.  Funny that.”

“Are you okay?  He looked like he was up to something.” Chase Carlisle said,  “So creepy.”

“Yeah...r-really creepy.”  Dane agreed, eating fish and chips.  “Why do you think, uh . why you think they’re invited? I mean if what you say is true…”

“History, no doubt.”  The Hufflepuff said. 

“Their headmaster seemed pretty friendly with yours though..” Dane said thoughtfully.  Their conversation was interrupted when a hand was placed on Dane’s shoulder and he turned around.Professor Fontaine stood with Landers and Dumbledore. 

“May we have a word, Dane?”

“..oh sure..” Dane stuffed one more forkful in his mouth and forced it down before going to follow them. He was led to an office after giving a password to a gargoyle bust .  The office was full of books and portraits and all sorts of magical gizmos and gadgets. With a twinkle in his eyes Dumbledore conjured up 3 chairs. 

“Please take a seat” He pushed over a bowl of lemon candies, “Sherbert lemon?”

The older men passed but Dane gladly took one and popped it in his mouth. “Thanks Professor!”

“You’re very welcome, Dane. Now, we’ve been discussing the matter of your protections at Hogwarts. We believe that nobody knows of your foretelling yet, but things like this cannot be kept secret forever. If it becomes known that you foretold of a rising dark lord-”

“L-lady sir.  Technically.” Dane said quietly.

“Yes.. If it becomes known you foretold of a rising dark lady, then your life will be in danger from the dark lady as well as the dark lord she opposes.” 

Dane flinched. “I don’t want that, sir.” 

“Neither do we.  So we have decided that once tonight is over you will be staying in a room under our Divination professor’s classroom in one of the towers. She will show you where it is.”

Dane bit his lip. “You will stay there , except for events in the Tournament in which we will arrange someone to escort you.”

“It kinda sounds like I’m on lockdown.” Dane said. “Sir”

“Dane, this is for your safety” Professor Landers said.  “We don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“..I ..guess..” he nodded.

“Do you have any questions or concerns, Dane?”  Professor Dumbledore asked. Dane hesitated thinking of the Durmstrang boy. But then he thought, if he told then it might tighten restrictions on him. 

“Can I bring my bag of stuff?”

“Certainly, we will have the house elves out to collect it for you.” Dumbledore said. “Now, why don’t you go enjoy the rest of your afternoon.”

Dane cringed. “Right” House elves were a touchy thing in the United States.  Many programs had been made to make it so a house elves could serve without being mistreated by wizards.  Many textbooks were quite honest about how the English often took advantage of their elves. He got up and took off back to the Hufflepuff dorms.

\----

The night came surprisingly quickly for Heather, She and her friends gathered when the feast was about to begin. Heather was also very curious about how wizards typically celebrated Halloween. Growing up she and Chase had spent most of their hefty allowance putting on a costume and then were turned loose on their country club neighborhood with pillowcases. Often they did at least three go arounds and had enough candy to last a whole year.   

The Great Hall was packed full with everyone in it and that, along with all the Halloween decorations made it feel much busier looking than it did everyday.  The food selection was amazing, and once again there were regional dishes as well as candy from the different countries. 

One section of the table had a variety of apple related treats and candies which were apparently  from the United States. Ramona seemed to greatly enjoy the caramel apple cauldrons filled with a sweet butterscotch or caramel concoction with sweet stirrer sticks. Monte enjoyed caramel and hazelnut filled chocolate wands from France. 

Heather was eager for the feast to end, as delicious as the food was, because she just wanted to hear who would be the champions. As the golden plates on the tables finally cleared, there was a rise in the noise level as people eagerly chatted. The energy in the room seemed to rise as Dumbledore got to his feet, though everyone went quiet.

It was time.

On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff , Professor Fontaine, and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are  called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicated the door behind the staff table - "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

 He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. 

The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting.  A few people kept checking their watches.

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white. "The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

The room erupted into applause and cheering as Krum got up , looking stoic as usual and vanished into the chamber door. 

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!" 

Meanwhile there was one student there who seemed to be seething. A blond boy who according to rumor, had argued with Krum earlier that day. Perhaps over the Goblet?

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

A stunningly beautiful girl, who almost looked like a veela, Heather realized, got up with almost inhuman grace and walked to the chamber. Many other Beauxbatons students seemed crushed, some sobbing into their arms. The identical looking pair with hand-fans both sighed and shook their heads.

When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement , you could feel it in the air.

The Goblet’s fire turned red and the familiar tongue of flame shot out a slip of parchment.

"The champion for Ilvermorny," said Dumbledore, "is Darren Griffith"

Cheers , many from the Ilvermorny students rang out as a black boy with a strong physique got up and made his way to the chamber door. 

 The Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.. Heather, and nearly all the other Hogwarts students leaned forward.     


However Dumbledore’s expression looked troubled and it soon became clear why. 

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Harriet Potter!”  There was a quiet throughout the room and Heather felt as if the floor had gone out below her for a moment.  That was impossible. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A sort of breather chapter. Sorta. Some important stuff to plot still happens.

People were looking at her in shock and everything felt like she was in a dream , like nothing was real.  Her friends looked at her and she longed to wake up already so she could just forget it, or laugh about the crazy dream she had.  But as soon as she got on her weak, jelly like legs it was clear this was real. She had been picked , somehow without even entering. Without even wanting to!

She walked over to the high table, staring determined at the floor as she went through the chamber doors. There was a room full of portraits and a fireplace going, with some seats where all the other champions sat staring at the fire. 

Fleur Delacour looked around when Heather walked in and threw back her sheet of long, silvery hair.

 "What is it?" she said. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

‘They think you’re a delivery girl’ A nasty voice in her mind said, taunting. ‘You’re nothing’ she shook her head.

There was a sound of scurrying feet behind her, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Heather by the arm and led her forward.

"Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Heather’s arm.gently. Heather quickly pulled her arm away.  "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen. . . lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce - incredible though it may seem - the Hogwarts Quadiwizard champion?"

Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Heather.  Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman. Vairy funny"

“Are you... _ are  _ you kidding?” Darren asked tilting his head. “I mean.. You must be”

“No not at all” Bagman said, rather bewildered. “Harrie- er” Heather shot him a glare.

“It’s Heather. And my name just came out for Hogwarts champion.” she said.”I didn’t even put my name in!”

“Oh come now -”   
  
“Listen to me. I . Didn’t. Put . My. Name. In.” She said slowly and clearly. The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in: Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by Mr. Crouch,Professor Fontaine, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape. Heather heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Professor McGonagall closed the door.

"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, strutting over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zis little girl is to compete also!" 

Heather fumed,deciding she didn’t like Fleur, as pretty as she was. She was  _ not _ a little girl. 

“There was supposed to be an  _ Age Line _ , Albus” Professor Fontaine said coldly. His eyes were narrowed, and there was an air of anger coming from him.  

“Yes Dumbly-dorr” Madame Maxime said rather annoyed. “What of the rules?”

However Professor Karkaroff seemed unphased. “It is up to Professor Dumbledore to manage matters of discipline for his own students. I do not see the problem. “

Fontaine gave Karkaroff a nasty look. “The problem is that nobody underage was supposed to be able to enter  _ for safety’s sake _ .”

Professor Dumbledore spoke. “Calm yourself Agilbert.  It would not do to-”

“Do not tell me to calm down Albus.  I have had just about enough of this nonsense.  First the World Cup is an unmitigated disaster, then,  _ then _ I discover that you never even thought to talk to Ms Potter’s relatives in the United States before handing him over to a couple of monsters-”

“What?” Heather asked quietly looking to Dumbledore. “...I had relatives in the States? And I was still sent to the Dursleys?” She felt cold fury filling her, and even the other headmasters seemed to notice and step back. “I had other people who could have taken me in-!” 

“You needed to be protected by your mother’s blood Heather” Dumbledore said calmly. “She sacrificed her life and invoked old magic-”

“AND DID MY FATHER NOT?” Heather demanded. “I spent the first years of my life in a CUPBOARD! A CUPBOARD UNDER THE STAIRS!  Did you KNOW that? Did you know they hated magic too? They thought I was a FREAK! I read the papers about the trial when I got older” with every word she moved closer to Dumbledore. “The neighbors sent reports. But they got IGNORED.  Did you have something to do with that? Professor? Were you KEEPING me there?”

“Were you, Albus?” Professor Fontaine asked. 

“Good ‘eavens” Madame Maxime murmured.

“ _ Heather _ ” Dumbledore said. “What’s happened has happened. Right now what’s important is working out what happened. Did you-”   
  
“NO I DID FUCKING NOT! PUT MY NAME IN THAT CUP” Heather said.

“Ms. Potter” Snape started, “get ahold of yourself and cease this tantrum”

“Tantrum?  Professor, are you honestly suggesting this girl does not have a right to be upset?” Professor Fontaine asked. 

“This girl is not your pupil, Professor” Snape spat. “I am her head of house and she has already attempted to blackmail me once this year.” If looks could kill Snape would have been dead.

“I pointed out the fact that you have been showing favoritism to your own house while bullying everyone else’s and downright terrorizing Neville Longbottom.  I tried to get you to not harass some people I cared about that was all.”

There were murmurs all around.

“I don’t want to be in this tournament.” Dumbledore drew a deep sigh.

“I fear that once you have been chosen you have entered a powerful magical contract by a very powerful magical object.”

“Convenient eh?” Moody’s voice said as he came in, his wooden foot echoing like a clunk.  “Whoever entered young Ms. Potter has just managed to trick a very old and powerful magical object.Perhaps with hopes she might die for it?”

There was a silence.  “....Albus, surely as the headmaster in charge of this, there’s something you can do?” 

“I’m afraid that Heather will simply have to compete.”  Professor Dumbledore said.  

“This is  _ ridiculous _ ...I have half a mind to leave”  Professor Fontaine muttered.

“You would leave your champion then, Agilbert?” Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at him. “And your Divination student? Might I remind you that with the prophecy he is in grave danger.”

Heather felt like she was missing something. Prophecy?  There were real prophecies? Was that why Ilvermorny had been invited?

“Prophecy?  Is there something we haven’t been told?” Karkaroff asked, looking to Dumbledore.   

“It is  _ none _ of your concern, Igor”  Professor Fontaine seemed to give off a sort of protective anger.

“There has been a prophecy of a new threat,” Professor Dumbledore said. “If it comes to pass, Agilbert, it will be all our concern.”

“But what of my student?  My student could lose his _ life _ , Albus. You may be perfectly willing to use students as pawns but I-” 

Dumbledore’s eyes hardened. “ _ You have no idea of the position I’m in Professor Fontaine _ !”

There was a silence.  Bagman looked between everyone as if wondering if the fighting had stop and it was safe to speak

"Well, shall we crack on, then?" he said, rubbing his hands together and smiling around the room. "Got to give our champions their instructions, haven't we? Barty, want to do the honors?" 

Mr. Crouch seemed to come out of a deep reverie. 

"Yes," he said, "instructions. Yes . . . the first task . . ." He moved forward into the firelight. Close up, he seemed to look ill. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes and a thin, papery look about his wrinkled skin that had not been there at the Quidditch World Cup.

 "The first task is designed to test your daring," he told the champions, "so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard. . . very important.”

"The first task will take place on November the twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges. "The champions are not permitted to  ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."

Well that was a perk. 

Mr. Crouch turned to look at Dumbledore. "I think that's all, is it, Albus?" 

"I think so," said Dumbledore, who was looking at Mr. Crouch with mild concern. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay at Hogwarts tonight, Barty?"

 "No, Dumbledore, I must get back to the Ministry," said Mr. Crouch. "It is a very busy, very difficult time at the moment.... I've left young Weatherby in charge.. . . Very enthusiastic. . . a little overenthusiastic, if truth be told. . .”

That was Percy Weasley all right. 

"You'll come and have a drink before you go, at least?" said Dumbledore. 

"Come on, Barry, I'm staying!" said Bagman brightly. "It's all happening at Hogwarts now, you know, much more exciting here than at the office!"

 "I think not, Ludo," said Crouch with a touch of his old impatience.

"Professor Karkaroff - Professor Fontaine - Madame Maxime - a nightcap?" said Dumbledore.  

But Madame Maxime had already put her arm around Fleur's shoulders and was leading her swiftly out of the room. Harry could hear them both talking very fast in French as they went off into the Great Hall. Karkaroff beckoned to Krum, and they, too, exited, though in silence.

There was still a lot of tension between Dumbledore and Fontaine. 

“Like hell.  Let’s go, Darren” Fontaine left with the tall boy, seeming to be fuming. 

Dumbledore looked to Heather, and to her satisfaction he looked very worn. “Heather,  you should go to bed now. I’m sure your house will be happy to celebrate with you.” 

The walk down to the dungeons was quiet. She could tell that Snape was angry with her but of course Heather didn’t care. Nothing she said was a lie.  There were celebrations going on in the common room but everyone stopped seeing the look in Snape’s eyes. 

“All of you. To bed.  _ Now. _ ”  He snarled.  Many students had the gobsmacked look of a child being scolded for the first time in their life 

\-----

The next day Heather and her friends went for a trip to Hogsmeade. Along the way she was mobbed by a hug from Chase.  

“Are you okay??” 

“I should be asking you that.  I can’t believe-” Chase looked at her with sad eyes.”It’s so not fair that someone put you in like that.”

Heather looked astonished.”You believe me”

“Well duh, if it was you , you would have put Heather.  You’ve never gone by Harriet in your life.” Chase said. “I’ve convince Hermione, Ginny and Ron.  Ron was kinda mad about it but I talked to him.”  

“Right.” now that she realized it , it was so obvious.

“Please be safe!”  she hugged her tightly.  So tight Heather almost couldn’t breath.  She backed off as Heather broke into a coughing fit..”sorry”

“Its fine..I’ll be safe.” Heather said. Chase took off to Gladrag’s after that and Heather went on with her friends to Three Broomsticks.  They all got mugs of butterbeer , swishing them around as they talked.

“Your sister makes a good point” Ramona said.”wonder why the person who put you in didn’t use your actual name. The one you’d _ actually use _ .”

“Maybe they didn’t know me that well,” Heather said. “Probably someone who only knows me as the Girl Who Lived” She made a face at title she hated so much. 

“Very disturbing”  Monte said sipping his drink. “Well you know we’ll be here to help.” Before he took another sip he noticed his older brother having what looked like firewhiskey with a Durmstrang student. “Hum, it looks like Bart made a foriegn friend.”

Heather looked where Monte was indicating.”Oh that’s the bloke who was mad about Krum winning last night.”

“Was it, now?  Hmmm”  

“Maybe he has something to take his mind off of it now.” Gil said. 

“Mhm!” 

They turned and looked as two Beauxbatons students, the fan twins, came in.  They looked around flapping their fans idly. They were both blonde and wore fashionable looking clothing with scarves and wearing gloves. 

"‘Eet is quite busy today”  One of them commented. 

“Mm Indeed. You find a place to sit, Romy, I shall get our drinks.” The girl said snapping her fan closed. She adjusted her eyeglasses and strode confidently to the counter ordering two white wines.  

“Only two years til I can just order hard drinks like no big deal” Ramona said with a sigh.  

“With enough confidence and conviction, and in ze right pubs,  you could do it now” The Beauxbatons girl said leaning against the counter  “If a leetle 4th year can get in the tournament, anyzing is possible” She took her drinks and walked over to where her brother sat waiting.

“ _ Little _ ” Heather grumbled.

Ramona seemed quite curious about them though. “I have to admit she does have style”

“Eet is not style, eet is confidence”  The girl seemed to drip on confidence, bordering on cockiness, from her hair ribbons,to her fashionable spectacles,  to her heeled boots. The two of them pulled out some books and parchment and talked in rapid french , both looking in the book and writing things down.  

\---

Chase led Hermione and Ginny down the paths of Hogsmeade, on that cloudy afternoon. Ron hadn’t wanted to come and being so surly about it the girls didn’t try to press him to. Chase’s bejeweled platform boots made clopping noises against the path. The boots had been one of the things Chase used her embellishing charms on.  There was a sharp chill in the air from the fall wind. 

“Well where are we going to go next?” Ginny pulled up a patched scarf around her face. 

“I think Honeydukes would be nice.  I told Dane I’d make him a little something to make his stay in the tower less boring. “ Chase said thoughtfully, plucking sickles and knuts out of her purse.  Her parents had started sending money in the form of wizard money, probably the most attentive thing they’ve done in all her life aside from noticing Heather’s circumstances with those people. “And Dervish had some books on astrology and charms I wanted.” 

“And I think I want to get a warm drink from Madam Puddifoot’s” Hermione shivered. “And some stationary parchment.”

She watched as a Slytherin and a Durmstrang student walked out of the Three Broomsticks exchanging money and shaking hands.  

“That sounds good!” Chase said. “I could spot you all a drink”

“It’s allright” Ginny started.

“No..it’s no biggie.” Chase said. “Don’t worry about repaying me either.”

“Thanks.”  Ginny looked over to where a pretty girl in her year walked, alone again, but seeming like she was in her own little world. The girl that made Ginny's heart beat fast and her face feel warm

“Go for it, Gin” Chase said urging her forward “Talk to her~! I’ll get you whatever you want from Honeydukes if you do.” 

Ginny grinned and with a little gulp, went to approach and talk to the girl.  She couldn’t help noticing she had a colorful necklace of bottlecaps. “You mind if I walk with you?”

\----

Dane sat in an empty room, one that used to be a classroom in the tower, with a bed that the Hogwarts house elves made up for him.  He stared out the window down at the grounds below, jealous of all those others who got to get out and explore the grounds. He at least had the company of his owl who he sent off for stuff here and there.  He had a collection of goodies from Old Samuel’s General Store, and Eden Orchard’s old Ciders. He had made sure to stock up before the trip. 

He idly unwrapped an Applesnap as he looked out the window. How he wanted to walk the grounds, go to Hogsmeade, check out the castle. If he had known he’d be shut away like this would he have still wanted to go? Maybe.  

He looked up he heard a noise outside his door. Stuffing the rest of the Applesnap in his mouth and swallowing it down, he went to peer out a little peephole. Two Gryffindor girls , stood outside his door.  He opened it a little bit. “Hey, what’s up”

The girls both giggled a bit. “We were visiting professor Trewlany  I’m Lavender, and this is Parvati“

“And we wanted to say hello.”  He knew technically he should be careful but there was no one behind them so Dane let them in.  The two looked around his room, which he had set up to his liking. On an unused shelf he had put a bunch of his figurines, some he had commissioned from Ayako in Horned Serpent. She was a whiz at making and working with a potion that created an imitation of plastic, and charming it to create little figurines. 

In another corner were a bunch of crates of cider and some soda.  On a table was a star sheet and a pile of books. He had hung his favorite jacket which he had been magically stitching patches on, on a coat hanger by the door.

“Ooooh those are cute” Lavender, a black girl with hair held back in a headband, moved to get a closer look at his figurines. She waved over her friend who had been examining the star chart he was working on 

“Oh thanks, th-those are my collection.  C-couldn’t leave home without ‘em.” he said, rubbing his neck.  

Soon the girls were crowded around his worktable asking about his star charts avidly.  He wondered a bit about the professor they seemed to get all their information of Divination from, but he didn’t say much because they seemed to worship the ground she walked on. “Y-y’all want anything to eat?”  He offered a box of applesnacks he had been munching from. 

“Oh what are those?”

“They’re like.. F-fritters you know. Apple fritters?  Fried and full of apple pie filling. They’re pretty big back home, s-sort of like your Pumpkin Pasties.” 

They didn’t stay long before they had to go finish homework but it was nice to have someone to talk about Divination with. As it turned to evening a package was brought to him by a house elf.  Dane carefully took it, but sighed a breath of relief when he saw Chase’s handwriting. It was a gift box filled with a variety of English wizard sweets. He licked his lips opening her note.

“ _ If you really must repay me, I wouldn’t mind getting the potion that your friend uses~<3”  _

He grinned and put the note in his pocket, he’d have to talk to Ayako again.  Maybe he could convince her to share the recipe. 

\------

_ Dear Sis, _

_  Do you think if I got a potion recipe you could help me?  It’s a little advanced I think, but not too much. I don’t really get much from Snape, but he doesn’t yell at me anymore (by the way thanks <333)  I’d really like to nail this because I could do cool things with it. I’ll tell you if/when I get it. _

_ Love ya always, _

_ Chase _

Heather smiled as she read the letter, and folded it up and put it in her letter box.  She had taught Chase as much as she could about potions during their time living at Aggie’s. It bothered her that Hogwarts didn’t have a professor people learned much of anything from. She was a better professor than Snape when she was thirteen and that was just sad.  

_ Dear Sis,  _

_ Sure, just tell me when you get it and we’ll set up a time and place _

_ Love you, _

_ Heather _   
  



	17. Chapter 17

Over the next few days  it was clear that whether or not she insisted that she didn’t put her name in the cup.  Most of the houses. Slytherin was split with some of them wanting to support their champion, the champion from their house, piling on the pressure to win (“for Slytherin!”) while others insisted that Heather wasn’t a real champion.

“If you had any pride in Slytherin” Harper said heatedly. “You’d want our champion to win whether you liked her or not. That’s what Slytherin house is supposed to be about.”

“A mudblood champion you mean?” Malfoy said, “I don’t think I’m the one who lacks pride for not willing to accept that. Not to mention , she broke the rules-”

“She says she didn’t enter herself and I believe her” Harper said.  

“Still, she’s an illegitimate champion” Malfoy said, “it’s embarrassing all these seventh years and we get a fourth year”

“Aren’t _you_ a fourth year too, Malfoy?” Monte raised an eyebrow.

“So?” Malfoy demanded, face looking a little red in either embarrassment or anger.

“And not long ago you were talking about competing yourself. How quickly you’ve changed positions”  Monte smirked at him and Malfoy stuttered for a response.

“Well that’s funny coming from someone who only knows one position- _on his knees_!” Pansy said causing the group of followers to crack up in laughter. Monte huffed, ears going red.

The Wampus and Durmstrang students seemed to be watching the exchange rather uncomfortably.  There were some mutters between them as they watched, not taking sides. The Wampus students had gasped at the use of ‘mudblood’ while some of the Durmstrangs had whispered and looked over at Heather.  

“Right, that’s it, I’m not going to have this in our house” Gemma Farley said. “I’m going to Snape first thing in the morning.”

“It’s not Professor Snape’s problem. Besides Malfoy has a right to his opinion.” Montague said, idly, looking bored. He was flanked by two others including an unpleasant dark haired boy who’s leering made Heather uncomfortable. “I’m starting to think you have a grudge against Malfoy,Farley.”

“I have a grudge against anyone who keeps trying to stir up trouble and keep Slytherin house divided.”  Gemma said, finally hitting her limit. “And a certain someone who never helps me keep the peace.” She glared over at Montague.

“Hm I wonder what my father would make of a control freak singling me out for punishment” Malfoy said..

“I’m not going to cause trouble for the most powerful families in the wizarding world, no” Montague said lazily examining his fingernails. 

“Because you’re a pathetic power seeking suck up” Monte muttered.

“You don’t value the power of the old families _enough_ , Timothy Vincenzo Montague.”  Bartholomew Montague said coldly.  “Maybe if Mother hadn’t spoiled you so you wouldn’t act as if you can behave any way you want..”

Malfoy gave an enormous snort.   
  
“As if you have room to talk about anyone being spoiled, Malfoy.” Heather said. “Monte at least has decent manners.  Anyway the point is Gemma’s at least trying to keep the peace and not let this place be a total hellhole” She glared at Bartholomew Montague. “You’ve done nothing but abuse your position.”

“I don’t take complaints, especially not from uppity little mudblood girls” Montague chose the wrong time to speak as Snape came in. 

“Silence, Montague.  _What_ is going on here?” He asked cooly. 

“Farley was giving me trouble again.” Malfoy said quickly.

“He was bullying!” Heather said. 

Snape looked between them before addressing _Gemma_ of all people. “Come with me, Ms. Farley.” Gemma sighed and with what seemed to be tears of frustration, she followed. Heather shook her head. 

‘ _This house is such a mess_ ’ She thought. 

“Slytherin could have done much better than _you_ ,Potter.” Malfoy sneered at her. As Malfoy and his friends turned to their own business, Ramona looked at Monte as if she had learned something surprising about him.

“Your middle name is Vincenzo?” she asked.

“Not so loud.” Monte pleaded. 

“No I like it,  it sounds interesting.” Ramona said. “I mean, my brother’s is Humphry. _That’s_ an embarrassment worthy middle name”

“Oh good lord. I got off easy I suppose” Monte said. 

“Yeah. Could be worse,”Gilbert said.  “Mine is Ralph” By the time Snape had come in the crowd of visiting students had dissipated. Tybalt passed by and Monte’s mind was taken off the conversation in favor of glaring him down. Heather noticed that a Durmstrang seventh year was still watching them.

“Show’s over, mind your own business” she said to him.

\-----

Malfoy didn’t seem to make as much trouble for Heather in front of other houses. But he didn’t really acknowledge her by name as champion either.  He would wave it in Ron’s face that the champion was a Slytherin to get to him but never talked of Heather herself. He often loudly complained how he wished they had gotten a proper ‘pureblood’ champion. 

Heather ignored it. If it was meant to get to her it failed. After all she never chose this anyway. She had never wanted to be champion. 

Pansy tried to start trouble with her every time they were anywhere alone. Heather did her best to ignore it but sometimes she wanted to curse Pansy senseless.  With grit teeth she would ignore her provocations and gossiping about her. Usually with Daphne Greengrass who perhaps looked as if she was getting sick of it herself. 

The other houses weren't anymore pleasant. Everytime Hufflepuffs passed by snubbing her, Chase would give Heather an apologetic look. Heather could live with it. 

\-----------

Snape seemed very unusually eager about this potions lesson on antidotes, where he was planning to test an antidote they made, somehow.  Heather didn’t like the gleam in his nasty dark eyes. She didn’t like the way he talked about who he was going to test them on , looking at the Gryffindors.  She was almost incensed enough to say something.  

But a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.  Monte stood at the door.

“Yes?” Snape said , his lip curling into a sneer. 

“Er I’m supposed to escort Heather Potter upstairs” Heather smiled resisting the urge to roll her eyes at her friends typically fancy wordage. 

“Potter has another hour of Potions to complete, She will come upstairs when class is finished, Montague” 

“Ah, Mr. Bagman wants her. It’s a champion thing”  Monte said. If there was one way to make Snape angry that was it. 

“Very well , go on Potter, get out of my sight!”  Heather grabbed her bag and left gratefully and followed Monte out.

“So what is this about?” She asked. 

Monte sighed running his hands through his hair. “You’re not going to like this but...photographs for the Daily Prophet.”

“Great”  Heather groaned.  

“You can survive this” Monte said attempting to be consoling. 

‘Yeah sure” Heather said , as they reached the right room.  “Glad I’m missing Snape’s newest attempt at punishing the Gryffindors for existing at least.” 

She was in a fairly small classroom; most of the desks had been pushed away to the back of the room, leaving a large space in the middle; three of them, however, had been placed end-to-end in front of the blackboard and covered with a long length of velvet. Five chairs had been set behind the velvet-covered desks, and Ludo Bagman was sitting in one of them, talking to a witch Heather had never seen before, who was wearing magenta robes. Viktor Krum was standing moodily in a corner as usual and not talking to anybody. Darren was standing around a bit awkwardly. Fleur looked a good deal happier than Heather had seen her so far; she kept throwing back her head so that her long silvery hair caught the light. A paunchy man, holding a large black camera that was smoking slightly, was watching Fleur intently out of the corner of his eye. Heather wasn’t sure he liked the way he was looking at her , even if she didn’t like Fleur herself. 

Bagman suddenly spotted Heather, got up quickly, and bounded forward. 

“Ah, here she is! Champion number four! In you come, dear girl, in you come . . . nothing to worry about, it’s just the wand weighing ceremony, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment —” 

“Wand weighing?” Heather asked, confused. 

“We have to check that your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, as they’re your most important tools in the tasks ahead,” said Bagman. “The expert’s upstairs now with Dumbledore. And then there’s going to be a little photo shoot. This is Rita Skeeter,” he added, gesturing toward the witch in magenta robes. “She’s doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet. . . .” 

“Maybe not _that_ small, Ludo,” said Rita Skeeter, her eyes on Heather. 

Her hair was set in elaborate and curiously rigid curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jeweled spectacles. The thick fingers clutching her crocodile-skin handbag ended in two-inch nails, painted crimson.

 “I wonder if I could have a little word with Heather before we start?” she said to Bagman, but still gazing fixedly at Heather. “The youngest champion, you know . . . to add a bit of color?” 

“Certainly!” cried Bagman. “That is — if Heather has no objection?” 

“Lovely,” said Rita Skeeter, and in a second, her scarlet-taloned fingers had Heather’s upper arm in a surprisingly strong grip, and she was steering her out of the room again and opening a nearby door. “We don’t want to be in there with all that noise,” she said. “Let’s see . . . ah, yes, this is nice and cozy.”

 It was a broom cupboard. Heather stared at her. This woman was ringing all kinds of alarm bells already. 

“Come along, dear — that’s right — lovely,” said Rita Skeeter again, perching herself precariously upon an upturned bucket, pushing Heather down onto a cardboard box, and closing the door, throwing them into darkness. “Let’s see now . . .” She unsnapped her crocodile-skin handbag and pulled out a handful of candles, which she lit with a wave of her wand and magicked into midair, so that they could see what they were doing. 

““You won’t mind, Heather, if I use a Quick-Quotes Quill? It leaves me free to talk to you normally. . 

 “A what?” asked Heather. 

Rita Skeeter’s smile widened. Harry counted three gold teeth. She reached again into her crocodile bag and drew out a long acidgreen quill and a roll of parchment, which she stretched out between them on a crate of Mrs. Skower’s All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover. She put the tip of the green quill into her mouth, sucked it for a moment with apparent relish, then placed it upright on the parchment, where it stood balanced on its point, quivering slightly. 

“Testing . . . . my name is Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter.” Heather looked down quickly at the quill. 

The moment Rita Skeeter had spoken, the green quill had started to scribble, skidding across the parchment:

_Attractive blonde Rita Skeeter, forty-three, whose savage quill has punctured many inflated reputations —_

‘ _Oh no_ ’ Heather thought looking at the writing. 

“Lovely,” said Rita Skeeter, yet again, and she ripped the top piece of parchment off, crumpled it up, and stuffed it into her handbag. Now she leaned toward Harry and said, “So, Heather . . . what made you decide to enter the Triwizard Tournament?” 

“I didn’t” Heather said firmly.  “The slip of parchment that came out didn’t even have my proper name on it. If I were to enter myself, why wouldn’t I use the name I prefer?” 

“I’m sure you’re a clever girl, and you knew that would give you away.”  

“I didn’t enter. And I didn’t actually consent to this interview” Heather said incensed. She slapped her hand down on the bits written already. “And I know this quill of yours isn’t going to report what I’m actually saying.” 

She smeared the ink as she crumpled the parchment. “This interview is over.” 

Rita seemed to be staring after her as she stormed out of the broom closet right as Dumbledore came over. 

“Why hello Heather.  Is there any particular reason for the ink on your hand?”Dumbledore asked. He looked up. “Ah Rita Skeeter.”

“She practically kidnapped me for some dumb article.”Heather said sourly wiping her hand on the inside of her robes until Dumbledore offered her a handkerchief.  She took it and wiped her hands some more returning it to him dirtied.

“That is rather unfortunate.  Well then, why don’t we proceed , I’ll see that Ms. Skeeter no longer bothers you.” 

Still not fond of Dumbledore, but not wanting to be anywhere near Rita Skeeter anymore, Heather followed. The other champions were now sitting in chairs near the door, and he sat down quickly looking up at the velvet-covered table, where four of the judges were now sitting — Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime,  Professor Fontaine, Mr. Crouch, and Ludo Bagman. Rita Skeeter settled herself down in a corner; Heather saw her slip the parchment out of her bag again, spread it on her knee, suck the end of the Quick-Quotes Quill, and place it once more on the parchment. 

“May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?” said Dumbledore, taking his place at the judges’ table and talking to the champions. “He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament.” 

\------

Heather was glad to get away after the photos , being around Rita annoyed her enough already.  With her parents’ jobs she was familiar with tabloids and paparazzi types. That’s all Rita Skeeter was to her, a glorified paparazzi writer.  This was confirmed even more in her mind in a few days when Rita’s piece came out and Heather was made out as a belligerent troublemaker and attention seeker. People like Snape, and Malfoy and his friends were interviewed.  Rita was not entirely uncharitable , though, she did suggest that Heather’s trauma at the hands of the Dursleys made her the ‘troubled girl’ she was.

It made Heather even angrier. She could barely remember her time with the Dursleys in detail. She had been taken from them at the age of three!

Heather faced whispers in the hall as she passed and people staring.  She would give them a fixed glare right back until they looked away, but soon she started ignoring them. Honestly it was better when the school was shunning her.


	18. Chapter 18

"Oh Potter, are you sure you can handle the Tournament?  Not too traumatized by what those nasty muggles did to you?" 

"Be nice to Potter she's traumatized and might snap!"

If anyone could make the article worse it was Pansy Parkinson, who gleefully spread it around that Heather was a tragically disturbed victim who acted out of the "ghosts of her horrible past".  Heather had to hand it to her, Parkinson sure knew what to do to get on someone's nerves.

Victim was the thing that Heather hated being seen as the most.  She hated pitying looks and attempts to sympathize to her. It was all so condescending and gross.  Yes, let's all publically go on about how sorry you feel for the poor abused orphan. Yuck. 

"We'll see how sorry you feel for me at Christmas" she muttered. Perhaps it was an arsehole move but she'd honestly prefer people resenting or disliking her than pitying her. 

Heather Carslile was not a victim.   _ Never _ a victim. 

"They're not like Pansy, not all of them" Hermione said.  

"I don't care how well they mean. I don't like it" Heather said firmly. "It's such a self congratulatory thing to go remind the abused orphan that she's an abused orphan just so you can look nice or….something!". 

"You've been through things they can't imagine, they don't know how to react". Hermione said pushing a book aside. 

"I don't like to be defined by what I've been through.  Its just like all the Girl Who Lived nonsense. I'm being known because I didn't die when my family was murdered. Who wants  _ that _ to be their defining legacy?" Heather pushed aside a book.  "Everyone expects something of me like I didn't survive by dumb luck!" 

"Dumbledore cares about you-"

"Dumbledore wants something from me, Hermione, he expects something from me and he was willing to leave me with people who shut me in a closet. That's why I don't trust him" Heather said. She stopped when she heard something.  Someone, a younger student protesting.  

"I'm not interested!"

A deep German voice, one of the Durmstrangs? "Of course you are. Come with me"

"No!". 

Heather recognized it now. "Monte!". She got up and followed the noise. In a corner of the library, the blonde older Durmstrang boy, the one who had been angry at Krum, was pinning Monte to the wall kissing his neck and slipping hands under his shirt. 

"Knock it off, he said no!" Heather said. 

"This is none of your concern" the Durmstrang student said coldly. "Leave us alone, little girl" 

"Monte is younger than I am, you nasty fuck" Heather said, "leave him alone before I go to your headmaster." 

"You will do no such thing,  _ oblivi _ -"

" _ Expelliarmus _ !" Heather's spell hit him before he could finish. Monte took the opportunity to run away from the scene.  

Heather reached and caught the wand in her hand and pointed both at the older boy's crotch.  "I would leave... _ now _ " 

The older boy swore and took off just as Krum entered the doors of the library.

Heather stowed away both wands.  "What a disgusting creep. I should see if Monte's all right."She could ask what the strange warmth she felt in the Durmstrang boy's wand meant some other time.

\-----

As the week went by Heather couldn't help thinking of the upcoming first task.  It was still unknown and honestly she felt it was kind of unfair not to tell them. Yeah bravery and facing the unknown and all….but still.  

Did they used to do this kind of stunt in past Tournaments? No wonder there was a fucking death toll.  And she was a fourth year!

Before long every day she was waking up with a kind of dread in the pit of her stomach.

  On a Saturday she sat in the Three Broomsticks , turning over the new wand in her hand.  She had learned a long time ago at the wand shop that you couldn't get good results from using another's wand. But she had tried simple spells with this new wand and it worked fine for her. 

She wasn't sure she wanted the wand,seeing what kind of wizard had owned it.  

"How did you get two wands?" One of the French twins asked looking at her.  

"I disarmed an older Durmstrang student harassing my friend and caught his wand.". Heather said.  "And now it likes me...or something"

"You won ze allegiance of a Durmstrang students' wand?" He looked at her amazed and called his sister, speaking in rapid French. 

She looked at Heather puzzled and then with amazement.  

Heather looked down at the wand again. So she had won it.  She turned it over in her hand again. Maybe it would be worth keeping an extra wand.  

\-------

Chase looked over her potions homework in dismay. No matter how hard she worked in potions, it was never enough for Snape.  He didn't yell at her as much anymore but he did grade her rather shoddily. Her work was enough!

It was decent! It deserved better than a Poor or even an Acceptable.  

But it wasn't going to get that.  She wanted to be good at potions. She got up and went to take a walk through the halls. It wasn't too close to curfew after all. 

Heather had been a much more useful teacher than Snape. She made Chase feel like she could  _ understand _ potion brewing. She thought about getting private lessons, but Heather had enough to worry about what with that stupid tournament.  Damn that tournament, It wasn't fair that Heather was stuck competing. Pink glittery platform boots tapped against the stone floor as Chase cursed her sister's luck. 

Maybe at the moment she was being a little bit selfish, but it's not as if she only cared about Heather for her needs.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around with a jump. A couple of Gryffindor girls stood with a note.

"This is for you, it's from Dane in Ilvermorny, he wants to meet you in the Divination tower" one of them said.

"He says he has something for you" the other said, giggling.  

Chase took the note and looked at it. It said pretty much what the girls had told him.  Dane's handwriting was adorable! 

"Thank you!". Chase hurried to the Divination tower, the floor below Trewlany's class and knocked on the door.  "It's mee" she said.

With some sounds of clinking and unlocking Dane opened the door and ushered her in quickly.   "I-it took a little longer th-than I would have liked b-but I got it." His shaky hand held up a small roll of parchment. "I got Ayako's potion recipe!"

He handed it to her and Chase looked over the formula.  It didn't look too hard. 

She rolled it back up and then in a rush of emotion, kissed Dane right on the lips. 

"Whoa…"

"Thank you so much!".  He gave her a sheepish sort of grin. 

 "You. .you wanna s-stay awhile? I heard that y-you're studying the major arcana of t-tarot in Divination.  I can give you some help. Tarot is one of my specialties." 

"Sure.  I don't buy half of what Trewlany tells us anyway" Chase followed Dane over to a table. Some explaining happened but a whole lot more snogging happened. 

\-----

Heather was surprised to find Hedwig with a letter from her parents. This was odd, they normally wouldn't have bothered until Christmas by her estimates.  She took the letter and gave Hedwig an owl treat before she returned to the owlery.  

"Must be important," she said to herself wryly, opening the letter, "if you're bothering to write to me."

_ Dear Heather _

_ We are writing to tell you that you and Chase are going to be older sisters.  We are having a child soon. Please don't corrupt this child with all your wizarding nonsense. We trust you to inform Chase of the news. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Mum and Dad _

Heather felt fury building up in her.  Oh, so they wanted a  _ normal  _ child to neglect and ignore?  Or did they think they were going to change their habits.  

"Oh you  _ arseholes _ " she said, "you complete  _ bastards! _ "

"Bad news?" Ramona asked.  Heather turned around and noticed that everyone was looking at her with apprehension. "You-you're giving off an aura."

"Aura?" Heather asked, "what's an aura?"

"Anger...it's radiating from you" Astoria said quietly. 

"Watch out, she might lose it-"

"Pansy shut up" Ramona said, setting down her alchemy book.  "I swear one day you're going to get yourself killed by provoking the wrong person" 

"Well when your only talent in life is pissing people off, you've got to take what you can get I guess". An older Slytherin girl said, met with laughter from most of the house.  Heather might have laughed if she wasn't so pissed off.

"What's wrong Heather?" Ramona asked. Heather crumpled up the latter and threw it in the trash. 

"My idiot parents decided they wanted another child, to fulfill their  _ normal _ hopes and dreams." Heather said, "I've got to go find Chase"

Pansy started to say something but Heather shot her such a fierce glare that she instinctively backed up.  

\------

Blaise D'Aubert and Finn "Fletch" Fletcher  watched from the bushes as Hagrid and Maxime went into the forest.  Fletch wasn't sure what his friend was looking for, watching two half giants make out was far from his idea of a fun night. 

"C'mon!"

"This forest is s'posed to be forbidden ain't it?" Fletch asked.

"C'mon, we're Thunderbirds not chickens" Blaise said. "I'm tellin' ya, I have a feelin' there's somethin' big goin' on. Dane even confirmed it with his taro cards ". 

"Aw come on you don't believe all that horse hockey do ya?" Fletch said.  

"Dane is a Seer.  He  _ knows _ things" Blaise said. 

"He gets things right once in a while" Fletch said.  Blaise shushed him and pulled him into the bushes. Hagrid and Madame Maxime stood some ways away a big clearing. Fletch scrunched his nose as he watched them kiss and rolled his eyes at Hagrid's attempts at French.  Even Blaise could speak better French than that. 

He sighed as Blaise pulled him to a closer bush. 

It wasn't long after that the two boys saw what the two were looking at.

Dragons.

"Ooooohhhhh-"

"Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit"

Blaise yanked Fletch away to a safer place.

"We gotta tell Darren he's facin' dragons" Blaise said seriously.

"But ain't that cheatin'? Professor Sutherland  _ and  _ Professor Fontaine would be mad at us if we cheated" Fletch asked.

"We didn't even know what we were lookin' fer til we saw it.  If you ask me the Ministry folks are cheatin' us all by keepin' fuckin' dragons a secret"  Blaise hissed. "We can't let Darren face this without knowin'"

"Hello boys". The German voice of Lars Kerstein spoke. 

The two looked up.  

"I have a proposition for you and I think you'll quite like it." He carried a knife in one hand and a limp rabbit in the other


	19. Chapter 19

 The two boys were shaken as they returned from the Durmstrang ship to Hogwarts castle.  Even Blaise was an unhealthy looking sort of pale. As they walked Fletch wanted to scratch all the remainders of the last hour off his skin. 

"We tell Darren bout the dragons….b-but we don't tell nobody else 'bout anythin' that happened after." Blaise said. "No matter what"

 "Right" Fletch said nodding, "and...maybe we should keep clear of each other so nobody gets suspicious". Blaise looked to him taken aback. "....no 'ffense but I don't want no reminders of any'a this.  And it was yer idea"

Blaise narrowed his eyes. "This yer way of sayin' you blame me?" Fletch had been a friend since first year and a frequent partner in mischief.

"Maybe." Fletch said coolly. "Let's go back."

"..  well then fuck you I don't want nothin' to do with you either!". Blaise said heatedly.  The betrayal felt like the twist of a knife in his back. By one of his best friends!  

"Look don't get all personal 'bout it okay?" Fletch said walking quicker, ahead. 

"It damn well is personal!" Blaise called after him. "Y-yer  _ blamin' _ me!"

"Maybe if ya hadn't dragged me along fee some stupid plan-" Fletch turned from him. "Don't talk to me. We're bein' suspicious and I don't want that crazy asshole to kill us.  I ain't getting killed on account'a you". Blaise was speechless as Fletch hurried ahead.

 Once they got to the castle there was at least a couple feet's distance between them. Blaise held his coat close to his body even in the castle. As he walked among other students he felt paranoid every time one looked at him. Could they tell something was up? 

He made his way to where the Thunderbird  students were staying, the Gryffindor common room.  As he made his way through the common room, the Weasley kid noticed him. 

"Hey"

Blaise meant to respond in kind but what came out was a harsh "back off".  He went to the showers where he could easily hide tears.  

"I thought Americans were supposed to be friendly" Ron muttered as Blaise hurried away. 

"That's a stereotype.  But Blaise usually is friendly. I wonder what's wrong with him?" One of the other Thunderbirds said. 

\----

 "So they're just ...just  _ replacing _ us?". Chase asked after Heather told her about the letter. "That's so like them! I hate them  _ so _ much!" 

The two sat in the library whispering loudly. Chase carried a few books on potions. She slammed her books down angrily.

"To be honest, they're not going to do massively better this time. If that makes you feel better"

"Why would that make me feel better? Another kid is just going to get tossed to the side like us. And if they turn out a wizard or witch, they'll say it's our fault" Chase said wiping her eyes.  

"Likely" Heather admitted. "...are those potions books?". 

"...kind of ...Dane got me that potions formula from his friend.  I'm trying to study up in potions. One of the books has some notes in it already from someone named Lily Evans-". Chase looked at Heather as she had suddenly froze up.

"Lily Evans-?". 

"Yeah...why?" 

"Chase, that's the name of my birth mother". Heather said.  

"Well she's really good at potions.  Like incredible.". Chase said. "You want me to share them once I'm done with them?"

"S-sure" Heather said uncertainty. On the one hand they were just potions notes. On the other hand they were her  _ mother's _ . The birth mother she never knew. 

"Okay.  I would have asked you for help but you've got the whole tournament-" Chase sighed.

"What does this potion you got  _ do _ , anyway?". Heather asked.

"It makes plastic.  Dane said that the girl who made it uses it to make little figurines with.  I can make figurines of the characters from my comic!". Chase said 

"That's cool" Heather said. She looked up at the sound of shuffling and whirled around to see Monte burying his face in a book.  

"Monte, what are you doing?" Chase asked.  

"Avoiding the common room.  For one my brother has decided to be absolutely  _ disgusting  _ about muggles.  And for another that Durmstrang student is eyeing me. Mind if I sit with you lot?"

"I think you should go to your head of house" Hermione said.

"I can't talk about that kind of thing with  _ Snape _ ." Monte said.  

"Just say a Durmstrang student is harassing you," Chase said. 

Monte gave a pained groan. 

"I should have blasted him that day" Heather said darkly.  

"So do you have a plan of attack for the first task?" Monte asked, obviously trying to change the subject, Heather assumed. 

"Well if I don't know what it  _ is _ …" she said, annoyed.  

"Pssssst psssst" Heather whirled around to see Blaise D'Aubert, the Thunderbird boy holding up a book to his face. Incredibly unsubtly trying to listen to them.  

"Seriously do we have a sign above us saying please eavesdrop?" Heather said loudly enough to get a glare from Madame Pince.  

"Sorry but uh ..firsttaskisdragons" he said quickly.

"What?" Chase asked. 

"The first task ….it's ..it's dragons .  Don't tell anyone I told ya. Especially not that Kerstein fella….". Blaise said lowering his book.  He looked around nervously. "Oops forget I told ya that too". 

"Blaise what did that creep...damn he's gone". Heather sighed. The speed at which he scampered off was admittedly impressive.  He was scared of something. How dangerous was this place anyway.

"Kerstein...that's his name…". Monte said.  

"Looks like he's been bothering other people" Hermione said thoughtfully "perhaps if he's enough of a problem we should go to Dumbledore". 

"Or  _ his _ headmaster". Heather said. 

"Well I have a potion to work on" Chase said gathering her books. "Good luck talking to Snape, Monte"

As she took off Monte gave a sigh. "Must I really?"

" _ Yes _ " Heather and Hermione both said insistently. 

"Please what's he going to say? Perhaps try being less homosexual, Mr. Montague?". Monte said bitterly. 

"Monte, Kerstein is way older than you, and he's making you uncomfortable, you need to tell someone" Hermione said.  

"And I'm saying nobody's going to take me seriously!". Monte said.

"Monte, I'm a lesbian first of all.  Second if you don't tell him, I will". Heather said. 

Monte sighed. "How long have  _ you _ been in wizarding society though, Heather?" How would you know how wizards feel about that sort of thing?". Heather felt a stab of rage as Monte moved back stammering. "I am so sorry….I'll ..er.. try to talk to him"

He took off quickly before Heather said anything else.  She was still steaming. What kind of question was that? Why was he so insistent that she couldn't understand his gay angst?  

"Boys" she huffed.  

\-------

In the Hufflepuff common room Chase opened up her books and took out the notes to read over. She had found a nice comfy place to set up her cauldron. 

First though, she wanted to see if there was anything from Lily Evans that she could apply.  

"Does that say Lily Evans on it?" A boy asked.

"Yes….why?" Chase wondered why this boy was close enough to see her notes.  He was blond and a bit big but fairly nice looking. 

But he had some nerve looking at her notes!

"Oh sorry ...it's just...it probably sounds a bit wild but that was the name of my aunt.  I was told she went to Hogwarts. "

Chase stared. "You're my sister's cousin?"

"Oh...er yeah.  I'm not like my parents I swear." He said quickly. 

"Well I'd think not considering you're here" Chase said, "but that's good to know.". 

"My name's Dudley Evans"

"Aw you took the last name," Chase said . That was sweet 

"Mostly because my mum didn't like it" he said with a grin. "May I join you?"

"Certainly". He sat down near her as she reviewed the notes and looked at the formula again.  

"What was it like, living with her?". He asked "was she happy?"

"Happy as she could be with our parents" Chase said.

Dudley cocked his head. "What was wrong with your parents?"

"They were busy all the time and tried to buy our love." Chase said "big expensive presents when they couldn't be arsed to show up for anything important.  We sometimes bought ourselves birthday presents. And now they're making it plain they'd rather have a normal child…". 

Dudley frowned at that. "But they busted mine because… "

"Yeah well..ours went about things a little bit different.  They didn't want us going to Hogwarts. Left us with my aunt who..well you remember the howler right?"

Dudley cringed in sympathy."yeah.  She sounded like my Aunt Marge"

"She was a witch , oddly enough,  but she had a massive hate on for the headmaster."

"I mean I do wonder about him to be honest. Who leaves a baby on someone's doorstep? But why would your parents leave you with a witch if they wanted you to be…"

"Dunno, really." Chase said with a shrug.  She wondered that herself. Why choose a wizard relative if you didn't want your kids to become curious about the wizarding world?  

"What potion are you trying to make?". Dudley asked.

"Oh it's one I got from someone at Ilvermorny.  It makes plastic. There's lots of things you can do with that!" 

"You could get rich" Dudley said.  "Did someone our age really make a potion like that?". 

"That's what I'm told.". Chase shrugged. She looked at the formula again. "I'm going to have to send off for some of these.

"Maybe I can help.  I've been getting...well decent marks.  It's impossible to get perfect marks with Snape unless you're Slytherin.". 

"Yeah true.  But who cares about Snape? I can learn perfectly with these notes, books and maybe some help,"

\-------

For the next week Heather found herself panicking about the first task. Dragons.  How was she going to take on a dragon? She was fourteen! She spent extra time in the library researching dragons hoping to find information about their weak spots.  She found very little. Soon all she cared or thought about was a way to deal with a dragon. 

She had a hard time paying full attention in her classes.  She sat in Defense Against the Dark Arts listening to Moody talk about the unforgivables and how they terrorized wizarding society.  

Honestly who cared? She’d heard about them for lessons on end. Unless they could help her defeat the dragon.

Wait.  

Heather raised her hand thinking of how to word it carefully. “Sir, did Death Eaters ever use the unforgivables on animals?”

“Didn’t bother with animals. Muggles were what they wanted to hunt”

“But..say someone did use one...on an animal. How much time in Azkaban would they get?” She asked.

“None. Ministry only cares about using them on humans” Moody said. Bingo.  She had her plan. 


	20. Chapter 20

As Heather followed Snape outside to the first task, she felt like she was walking to her own execution.  What if it didn't work? She couldn't exactly bring herself to test the imperius curse on anything  _ living _ .  

But she was about to do it on a giant dragon.  She made her way over to the tent where the other three champions stood waiting. None of them looked very good at the moment. Even Fleur, who waited sitting on a stool, was pale and clammy, devoid of her usual veela like aura. 

Darren was pacing and Krum stood there, looking stone faced as usual.  

"Heather, my dear, good to see you!" Bagman said jovially as she came in. 

Bagman was wearing Quidditch robes as he stood before all the nervous champions, looking a bit like a cartoon character compared to them.

  “Well, now we’re all here — time to fill you in!” said Bagman brightly. “When the audience has assembled, I’m going to be offering each of you this bag” — he held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at them — “from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different — er — varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too . . . ah, yes . . . your task is to collect the golden egg!”

Heather breathed a sigh of relief she didn't know she was holding.  So all they had to do was get an egg? That would be simple. She could just order the dragon to step aside.

Soon hundreds upon hundreds of pairs of feet could be heard passing the tent, their owners talking excitedly, laughing, joking. . . .

Heather took a few deep breaths preparing herself. Simple as it was people would surely be angry at her for using such a spell. 

But hopefully she would be out of the tournament. And hopefully not expelled. 

Bagman opened the silk bag and held it out to her and Fleur. "Ladies first,"  She put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon — a Welsh Green. It had the number two around its neck.

Fleur didn't look at all surprised.  Heather wondered had she been told? Had Madame Maxime shared it with her beforehand?

Bagman held out the bag to Heather.  She pulled a tiny figurine of what seemed to be a Hungarian Horntail out of the bag. It had a number four around its neck. Figures.  Horntails were said to be the most deadly based on the books she read before the task. Krum and Darren pulled out theirs and only Darren seemed to go several shades paler.  

“Well, there you are!” said Bagman. “You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I’m going to have to leave you in a moment, because I’m commentating. Mr. Griffith, you’re first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right? Now . . . Heather, dear, . . . could I have a quick word? Outside?”

 Heather nodded. She hated how often he called her "dear," but she hated such treatment from most people.

 Bagman walked her a short distance away, into the trees, and then turned to her with a fatherly expression on his face.  _ Oh no _ .

“Feeling alright, Heather? Anything I can get you?” 

“What?” said Heather. “I — no, nothing.” 

“Got a plan?” said Bagman, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “Because I don’t mind sharing a few pointers, if you’d like them, you know. I mean,” Bagman continued, lowering his voice still further, “you’re the underdog here, Heather..... . Anything I can do to help . . .” 

“No,” said Heather " I know what I’m going to do, thanks.”

"Really….?"

"Yes". Heather spoke with a sigh.  Will people quit getting in her way and just let her do things?

Heather went back inside to Fleur and Krum. Seconds later, they heard the roar of the crowd.  Heather felt sick as she listened to Bagman's commentary. She wondered what he would say about her performance. Would people boo her?  Would anyone in Hogwarts talk to her again after this? 

The time passed all too quickly and soon Heather was being called out.  She held Kerstein's old wand tightly in her hand. She didn't want to sully her own wand with such a spell. She told herself she wasn't hurting the dragon. She was doing this for her own survival. 

"And now...Heather Potter!" Heather's legs seemed to be made of jelly as she walked out, taking deep breaths.  She thought she might have had a miniature panic attack as she walked out and met the crowds and the arena…

And there was the Horntail, at the other end of the enclosure, crouched low over her clutch of eggs, her wings half-furled, her evil, yellow eyes upon her, a monstrous, scaly, black lizard, thrashing her spiked tail, leaving yard-long gouge marks in the hard ground. The crowd was making a great deal of noise. Heather wished they'd all just shut it and let her think.

Oh well, time to get it over with.  

Heather took another deep breath in….and out . She filled her mind with thoughts of people who made her angry.  Her stupid parents. That miserable old bat Aggie. Professor Snape with his stupid favoritism against her loved ones.  And of course Professor Dumbledore who stuck a helpless child with a bunch of people who hated magic.

" _ Imperio _ !" 

The dragon stopped, eyes blank.  

Suddenly it wasn't so noisy anymore. 

Everything was still.

"Step aside". With a bit of struggle the dragon moved to allow access to her eggs.  Heather walked over to the nest, her stomach in knots, not daring to look at the crowd or judges, and plucked up the egg.   

However she didn't make it far before something..something in her brain was screaming and she collapsed to the ground clutching her ears.  "God make it stop ...please make it stop!". It was like someone being tortured.  

She didn't see anybody approach but soon she felt someone picking her up as all went black.  

\------

When Heather came to the first thing she saw was Snape looking angrier than she'd ever seen him. It was honestly frightening. 

"What was that, Potter? are you truly incapable of following laws as well as rules?" He snarled, facial features twisted in fury.

Dumbledore was nearby and he looked grim. 

"Heather I must ask you why you believed that spell appropriate". 

"I….." Heather felt tears sting her eyes "I….thought that if I used a ...a spell like that...that ..that I'd get kicked out of the tournament ...and I wouldn't have to do it anymore" she said before sobs overtook her.  

"So you used an unforgivable?" Snape asked voice cold and unmoved.

"I was...I was  _ scared _ I don't know how to -to beat a freaking dragon I'm fourteen! I never asked to be in this s-stupid tournament!" She cursed herself for breaking down. 

"So you, in a position of representing Hogwarts , used an unforgivable curse-"

"Expel me then!  I don't care" the words burst out of her.  "This whole school is insane!"

"You are not being expelled today, Heather" Dumbledore said calmly. 

"What?" 

"Albus I believe that is my choice-"  Snape started. 

"And you will not be expel her as per your promise-"

"Don't you bring that into this!"  More of the judges came into the tent she was in.

"Am I going to be disqualified at least?" Heather asked pleadingly. "I broke a rule, a huge one". She was getting stares and a nasty look of hatred from Crouch. .

"Dumbledore I'm afraid I don't understand why you are not going to expel this-"

"Child. And using the imperius curse on a dragon, while morally wrong is not illegal" Dumbledore said.

"A child who just performed very dark magic!" Crouch spat. 

"And as you saw, she experienced a strong backlash from it. I do not believe Miss Potter is a threat to anyone. As she has just confessed, this was a desperate attempt to get disqualified from the Tournament." Dumbledore explained. 

"Then we are going to disqualify her, surely.  If she is that desperate to use one of the most illegal curses known, certainly she should be disqualified." Headmaster Fontaine said.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that. The goblet has made its choice"

"What? A-and?. And  _ why _ are we putting the whims of a magical cup over a living human being?!" Fontaine demanded. 

"It's a powerful magical artifact" Moody came hobbling in.

"It is a magical  _ cup _ !"

"The American 'as a point. Why should we trust zis girl?" Madame Maxime said

"Heather" Dumbledore turned to her seriously. "I am sure you understand now why that spell and the others like it should not be used"

Heather gulped back sobs "y-yes...but...if it's so terrible….why did we have it performed on us in class?" 

The room went so quiet that a pin could have dropped. 

 "...Albus….did you"

"Albus with all due respect... _ what the fuck _ ?" Fontaine asked . 

 Dumbledore for his part looked shocked as well. 

"Heather I must ask you what you mean?  I allowed the teaching of the unforgivable curses but certainly not the use of them on students-"

 However he stopped as did all of them when Moody lunged at Heather. 

He was stupified before he could reach her.  

Albus Dumbledore looked down at Professor Moody with absolute fury and disgust in his eyes and, to everyone's shock, Moody's features began to change

\----

Heather sat through several diagnostic spells in the infirmary after she admitted that she had been put through the imperius curse more than once.  The news went through the school as quickly as diagnostic tests were done on every Hogwarts student in 4th year. Once she was finally done with all of it, Heather wanted nothing to do with anyone for awhile.  

It was only a day before she started getting visitors.  

She was shocked when Hermione rushed to hug her. 

"Are you allright?"

"You….don't hate me?"

"Heather everyone in the school knows now that you were subjected to multiple imperius curses. Most of us just got one. They're saying that kind of thing can cause permanent damage in a witch or wizard."

"....so they did something about Moody?"

"Moody...er..wasn't Moody.  He was a death eater who escaped Azkaban"

"Oh that's refreshing to know" Heather said sarcastically. 

"Well I mean….he's caught now" Hermione said. "Also….well…. the tournament's been called off."

Heather felt her stomach plummet. 

"What?" 

If people didn't hate her already, they certainly would now. 

"Because of what the fake Moody said. You-Know-Who is ….is out there what's left of him. And he's trying to come  _ back _ ."


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already hate most of this chapter . *Sigh*

The girl was only fourteen and she had already used her first Unforgivable.  Incredible. Bellatrix Black, once called Bellatrix Lestrange, had watched the whole thing. Sure, she had a bit of trouble with the backlash of her magic but getting used to dark curses took time. She'd already gotten a taste for it. 

The next course of action of course was to get ahold of the boy who'd made that little prediction.  

The Dark Lord would be sorry he ever rejected her.  

\---

Students and adults gathered in the Great Hall for an announcement in light of recent events.  There was no grand meal served beforehand and the atmosphere was deadly serious.  

Dumbledore rose to his feet and all whispering ceased. Everyone seemed to be waiting on the edge of their seat to hear what he was going to say.  

"I regret to inform you that it is true that the Quadiwizard Tournament has been cancelled. I believe you all have a right to know why.  A Death Eater, one of Lord Voldemort's followers was discovered masquerading as a Hogwarts Professor. We interrogated him and learned that Lord Voldemort's followers planned to use the Tournament to return him to power. It was he who submitted Heather Potter's name in the Goblet. 

The Death Eater committed suicide before we could administer the Dementor's Kiss or get anymore information. "

There were a few murmurs but Dumbledore continued.  

"Heather Potter is currently getting treatment for any damage done by the Imperius Curse. Her choice was the wrong one, but it was not made out of malice but out of desperation and fear. Regrettably we do not often make wise choices when we are afraid. It is not her fault the Tournament is ending but if it had continued she would have been put into grave danger.  I'm sure none of you would want to be in the position she was in. I ask you all for understanding. To not condemn a frightened child as you would a dedicated dark wizard. " 

There were some uncharitable mutters among the low whispers.   

"However our guests are still invited to stay for the rest of the school year as we discuss how we may unite to stand against this new threat.  To defeat Lord Voldemort we must all stand together. Our unity will pose a mighty threat to his attempts to divide us. I must ask you all , in every school and every house, to stand together and forge new alliances.  Together we will be stronger

Now I invite you all to enjoy a meal together, and come to know one another better."

With that, dishes of food appeared on the plates and students quickly began moving to serve themselves. Dumbledore sat down again and began eating with the other teachers and making conversation with the other headmaster's.  

Meanwhile the students discussed the new turn of events in hushed voices.

"Why should we forgive the girl ,after all of zis" one Beauxbatons boy said. "Now we 'ave no tournament"

"She used an illegal curse…." An Ilvermorny student said in agreement.

"I mean she was facing a dragon though"  Anthony Goldstein said fairly "and let's be honest all she did was make it stand aside" 

"With the imperius curse!" The Ilvermorny student said heatedly. 

"You can feel however ya bloody want personally. But you ain't making any trouble for anyone, Stevens" Orion McDunnan, a seventh year Horned Serpent said.  

"You sound irish, how come you didn't go to Hogwarts?" One of the Ravenclaws asked.

"Mum was gettin worried about how things were, with You Know Who an all and we were halfbloods so she took us and ran to the States fer safety" Orion said "seems a smart choice seein' as you just can't be rid of the bastard." 

"Fair 'nough"

"As if you lot don't have your bad seeds over there" Terry Boot said indignantly. 

"Never said we don't sonny. Clean out your ears once in awhile."Orion said. 

"You Americans, always so crass" A Beauxbatons seventh year said scathingly.  

"Awful rude to be judgin' all Americans by a fella like me, darlin'". Orion said. The Beauxbatons student huffed indignantly. However a younger student chuckled a bit. 

"I will have a word with zat girl. Brain damage or not, now zere ees no tournament." Fleur said 

"Damage from the Imperius curse? Potter was damaged before the Tournament if you ask me. " Malfoy was saying loudly.  "Thanks to that attention seeking lunatic we lost the chance to win the tournament. Can you be any more  _ selfish _ ?". 

Monte, Harper, Gil, Astoria and Ramona were quiet, all waiting for someone to speak. "I think Malfoy's right" Dahlia said "it was selfish of her to throw the tournament and her stunt with the curse makes us look bad in front of all the other schools.  I think she does just like the attention."

"She hasn't come out of the infirmary yet, I think she knows people are mad at her" Ramona said.  

"And they should be!  She got the tournament cancelled. All because Princess Potter might have gotten hurt.  The whole stupid wizarding world worships her it's sickening" Dahlia said.

"Yo England ain't the whole wizarding world.". Tybalt Carrow said loudly. "And it ain't all about Hogwarts, we're all pissed"

"Then be pissed at her,not me" Dahlia said. 

"You wanna go?!" 

"Sit down" Bartholomew Montague said glaring at him. "Both of you." 

"Please don't get in any fights" Gemma said. Ever since Snape spoke with her she had been subdued and didn't try to use her authority as much anymore. Montague had decided this meant he was the authority of Slytherin house.   

"Dahlia, the Headmaster said that the tournament was called off on account of a Death Eater interfering." Ramona said.

"I'm still sick of her, and I'm not going to be her friend or hang around her"

"Then...then you might as well not be my friend either. Because I will." Ramona said. 

"Are you serious? Well goodbye". Dahlia got up and moved down the table to Malfoy and his group. 

".....Ramona.   Was that really necessary?" Astoria asked. "couldn't you have tried to reason with her?"

"There is no reasoning with Dahlia. If she says something she stands by it til the end of time."  Ramona said. "I know her. And the first person she went to after I told her off was  _ Malfoy _ ." 

Astoria looked sadly at Dahlia laughing at something Pansy said.

"Forget about her.". 

 Astoria sighed.  

"Soooo er….Monte you still having that problem...with..". Harper started awkwardly. 

"Oh no.  Kerstein hasn't bothered me for some time. I believe he's given up." Monte said.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that.  He might just be planning his next move" Ramona said . "You should still go to Snape about it"

Monte groaned.  

"You should, he seems like he could be dangerous.  And Snape probably knows Headmaster Karkaroff I think. He would be able to get Karkaroff to do something" Astoria said.  

"But  _ would _ he?" Monte asked.

"This isn't anything like you getting busted in second year for looking at older boys. Snape has to do something if Kerstein has bothered you and other boys like this" Ramona said

"Did you have to bring that up"Monte said with a sigh.  "Fine I'll  _ try _ and go to Snape." He didn't have to do it right now of course.  Perhaps if Kerstein didn't bother him for some time everyone might forget about it.  

At the Hufflepuff table Chase was eating rather miserably as the Hufflepuffs whispered about her sister.  She didn't know what to think after Heather used that spell. Why? Why would she do such a thing? The adults said that she might have experienced damage from the curse being done on her multiple times.  She hated to hope that was true...but what other answer was there? Was her sister being swayed by dark magic?

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" Cedric Diggory asked.

"I...suppose so." She said with a weak smile.  

"If you ask me you should be careful around that sister of yours" one of the Hufflepuffs said. 

"Heather would never hurt me" Chase insisted, though deep down she wasn't sure.  Would she? If she was mad enough.. 

"Leave Chase alone" Cedric said.  "I understand you want to discuss recent events but be courteous please". 

"Why should we?" Zacharias Smith demanded.  "Potter ruined things or everyone."

"No the death eater did" Cedric said firmly. 

"Exactly what I was gonna say, good sir, thank you" Chance, the Pukwudgie head boy raised a glass.  

"You don't even go to this school" Zacharias sneered.

"We were in the tournament too, smart ass". Chance said, "listen to your head boy"

"I don't take orders from Yankees" Zacharias said, turning up his nose. 

"Actually I'm more midwest, but nice try" Chance said. 

"Act your age,will you Chance?" Lexi Proctor, the Pukwudgie house Head Girl said.  "You're arguing with a fourteen year old."

At the Gryffindor table Hermione was trying to explain to Ron that Heather wasn't 'going dark'.

"What so she went temporarily mad just in time for the task?".  Ron asked. "she used the imperius"

"She had the imperius curse used on her. Multiple times!  That has to have some serious side effects!"

"She used the Imperius curse" Ron said, "I swear Hermione the way you go on about her, it's like you're in love with her"  

Hermione shot a glare at him.  Ron shrugged it off and talked with Fred and George darkly. Charlie was quite disturbed by the Imperius curse being used on a dragon of his.  

"Why are you defending her so much?" Ginny asked quietly. 

"Because I talked to her afterward.  She was completely shaken. I would bet on my life that she's not going to use another Unforgivable." Hermione said. 

"I don't know if I would make a bet like that, but the magical reaction she got-"

"Magical reaction?". Hermione asked. 

"Yes..you know how she collapsed out on the arena? It was a magical backlash. I've heard that dark magic can cause those.  Explains why some of the darkest wizards and witches were always known to be a little mad.". Ginny said through bites of shepard pie.  

"It's been studied" Holly Potter said. ",As well as the effects of victims of the Unforgivables. Well two of them anyway" 

"Yeah how do you study something like that , have people do the curses?"

"On insects.  Not the most ethical experiment but...well the wizarding world has always had a blind spot about animal rights" Holly said, "but the research did prove that wizards experience magical resistance to dark magic.  You have to teach yourself to tolerate it, and it messes you up to do it." 

"What about the effects of the cruciatus and imperius on people?" Hermione said. "It does something to them right?"

"Oh yeah it does. Prolonged use of it can drive a person insane.  Having the imperius curse done on you has been known to screw up your inhibitions.  People recovering from the imperius have been noted to experience bouts of impulsive and publically inappropriate behavior afterward. There was one case , really disturbing, where a muggle who was perfectly normal before had the imperius curse on him for a while.  Right after he did a bunch of sick serial killer stuff and got arrested."

Ron looked at Holly suspiciously. "How do you know all this"

"Oh cool it Mr Conspiracy. It's what I learned when we covered the Unforgivables.  Though that last one I learned about from extra research. Kind of wish I hadn't." Holly said.  

"What's a cereal killer?" Fred asked, "sounds right mad but harmless"

"It's not. Serial killers are killers who go after a bunch of people with a particular method or signature. They're usually narcissistic types who enjoy things like tormenting the police about it and enjoy the attention. "

"Why do you know this?" Another student asked. 

"I'm too curious sometimes I suppose" Holly shrugged. "Point is Hermione is right, if Heather had the curse put on her multiple times, well no wonder she did something nuts"

"Can y'all shut up about murder an shit?" Fletch glared at them, "folks are tryna eat here" 

"Sorry Fletch, it was topical though." Holly said

"Don't fuckin' care." He said and made a rude gesture.

"What's your problem?" Ron snapped. 

"Y'all being creepy as fuck. Freaks".

"Finn watch yourself" the Thunderbird Head boy said warningly. "You can still get detention here you know."

Fletch snorted and moved away from them, muttering to himself. 

"What's his bloody problem?" Ron asked irritably. 

"I don't know.  Fletch never used to be this unfriendly". Holly said thoughtfully. "And he used to do everything with Blaise and now they're like worst enemies."

"Is he always that...crass?" Hermione asked.

"Well yes, but he was never so mean spirited. Til now" Holly shrugged. 

\------

Heather was bored out of her mind while in the hospital wing, admittedly but she dared not leave knowing that four schools' worth of anger may very well be directed at her. She didn't know what made her think using the imperius curse was a good idea.  She had hated Moody, or fake-Moody when he used it and was sickened by the manic glee in his demeanor as he used it.  

How could he enjoy it so much, she wondered, when to her it was like a horrible screaming of a tortured soul in her ears.  What kind of person could enjoy such a thing? Well he was a death eater. No doubt he had to be one twisted individual to grow to enjoy such a curse.  

They said she had suffered some kind of I'll effects from having the curse put on her so many times.  But she didn't remember feeling any different. Bored of lying awake she tried to go back to sleep. As she drifted off she heard a faint whisper.

_ "So hungry….I want to rip...tear...kill _ "

She bolted upright.  What was that? She reached for her wand on the bedside table. "Hello?"

Another voice murmured, "will you be bloody quiet? People are trying to sleep!"

How could anyone sleep hearing a voice like that?  However it occurred to Heather, what if she was hearing things? What if this was some kind of side effect of the curse?   She set her wand down and laid down again. 

The imperius curse was positively vile. 

\------

Kerstein was pleased that the tournament was called off, if only because it meant that Krum wouldn't get the excess glory he was so undeserving of. With the Quidditch World Cup so recent did he really need anything else? 

Well if he got any more attention, Kerstein thought,may he choke on it.  That evening he found a package on his bed from his new friend, head boy of Slytherin. He raised an eyebrow and opened it.  

It was a bottle of potion with an iridescent sheen to it.  And a note. 

_ This might help you out a little. If he's being difficult.  _

_                                             -B.M.  _

Kerstein smiled and tucked the potion bottle away safely.  That would help indeed. Though he wondered where the elder Montague got his hands on amortentia.


	22. Chapter 22

Eventually Heather had to go back to classes. She got glares from the Slytherins and suspicious looks from everyone else.  People avoided talking to her. And Snape refused to acknowledge her. She still had most of her friends. Eventually Monte began to become distant from them, and everyday he looked more pale and more sickly.  

Heather and Ramona tried to talk to him but he avoided them as much as he could. 

So, Winter was as cold and lonely as ever.   

Heather sat in the back of the common room as Snape gave an announcement about a coming event. 

"Despite the fact that the Tournament itself has been cancelled-" Many people turned around to glare at Heather especially Malfoy and his gang- which now included Dahlia. "The headmaster has decided to keep one traditional event of the Tournament. The Yule Ball."

People perked up and paid attention as Snape explained, sounding as if he had sheer distaste for the very idea. 

"I expect that you all will be certain to represent Hogwarts and especially Slytherin with the highest respect. I do not want a repeat of the events that led to the Tournament's cancellation...is that clear  _ Potter _ ?"

Heather glared back at Snape's dark gaze. "Of course Professor, as I'm no longer being expected to put myself in unnecessary and ridiculous danger. " She said cooly. She may be miserable but she wasn't going to break or show it. 

There were a few nervous titters in the crowd, which ceased when Snape glared at those who made them. "Dress robes will be worn and the ball will begin at eight o'clock on Christmas Day.". Nearby Barton, the head of house for Wampus was addressing his own students with the information. 

"You're representing Ilvermorny so try not to be the bunch of shitweasels you usually are. Dismissed!"

Snape stared incredulously at Barton before turning back to the Slytherins. 

"Do not embarrass me"

With that they were dismissed. It was a Saturday so there were no classes. Snow was falling outside as bundled up students made their way to the Station to go to Hogsmeade. 

"So… hopefully people might ease up on you for the fact we're still having a Yule Ball.," Gil said.

"They didn't know the Yule Ball was he happening in the first place." Heather said. "But maybe. Doubt anyone will want to go with me though…." People were still shooting her looks of warning.  Malfoy talked loudly about how he hoped "Potter wouldn't ruin this one too"

"Then I will." Ramona said, as people looked at her.  "If….if you want to...that is"

"Sure" Heather said. 

"Just because you swing both ways doesn't mean you can't have standards" Dahlia said shaking her head. 

"She's already ruining it" Pansy said, sounding appalled "you can't go with a girl!" 

"It's just Potter's new way of getting attention, Pansy" Dahlia said soothingly. "Just be glad she's not doing anything illegal this time.". 

Heather burned with fury at Dahlia.

"She  _ knows _ I like girls!  She's known it almost since we met!" She said furiously.

"Just because you're a bully now doesn't mean you have to be a homophobe too!"  Ramona called out. Dahlia looked at her like a pile of droppings on the ground. 

"Let's  _ go _ ." 

"I can't believe she's friends with them now." Heather said. "I wasn't as close to her but I thought she was all right"

"Me too I've known her for a long time.  She could be mean sometimes but she seemed sensible at least." Ramona sighed as they trudged through the snow to the train station. They went on to Hogmeade, and Heather didn't see Monte until they got to the Three Broomsticks and he was sitting with Kerstein looking at him adoringly. 

"What is he  _ doing _ ?" Ramona hissed. Heather followed her as she got up and marched over, wanting to hear an explanation for this.  "Timothy Montague, what are you doing with  _ him _ ?" Kerstein gave her an annoyed look. 

"He is with me"

"Ramona, why are you making a scene?  I'm with my date" Monte said. 

"I'm sorry, but what in Merlin's saggy bollocks? He's a seventh year! You're barely fourteen, he's been harassing you for weeks!"

"So?"

"What did you do to him,Kerstein?"

"Can't we get some peace?" Monte snapped. "Lars, let's go"

"He wanted to be at the ball so I asked him to accompany me" Kerstein said shortly "I do not see what is wrong with this" 

"Oh sure that's your story" Heather said.  Monte slammed a hand down on the table. 

"This is why I quit hanging out with you lot.  You wouldn't keep your noses out of my business. Sod off!"

"Monte...we're trying to help you" Heather said

"I don't need nor did I ask for your help" Monte glared at them.  Now sod off before I tell the staff you're bothering us."

Heather glared back at Monte before turning around and walking away with Ramona.  

"I'm going straight to Snape about this. He's lost it". Ramona said. A thought occurred to Heather as she remembered Monte's pale face and distant demeanor that was so different from the usual. 

"Kerstein's a wizard" she said.

"Yeah? We all are,Heather." Ramona looked at her quizzically. 

"He's a seventh year at Durmstrang, he's probably done something to mess with Monte!" Heather said. She wanted to hex Kerstein then and there with his own former wand.

"...that's right.  Good thinking." Ramona said picking up her mug and finishing off her butterbeer. "We're going to Snape right now"

Heather hoped Snape would be willing to take her word seriously. He should, considering that the safety of his own student was on the balance. 

\------

"Albus….I have to speak with you regarding your History of Magic classes.". Professor Landers said, sitting in the headmaster's office. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows and nodded. 

"Yes, what of it?".  Dumbledore asked lightly curious. 

"Well myself and a few of my students have sat in on lessons and I have to say, I nearly nodded off.  The teacher you have is rather...hard to pay attention to. I noticed maybe four students actually paying attention. Four." 

"I see….I have been aware that Binns can be challenging but he has been teaching at this school for generations" Dumbledore said. 

"Right now, with all that's going on, history is a subject of utmost importance, for students to understand what's going on in the world.  If they're not paying attention, and you know it, then what is the point of the class?". 

Dumbledore thought about it. "The marks I've seen in the class  _ are _ remarkably low."

"The class isn't engaging. Your professor just talks  _ at _ students and if a student tries to ask a question for clarification, on the rare occasion they're paying attention, he seems annoyed to be interrupted". Landers explained. 

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully,frowning. "I see. I shall consider interviewing for the post."

"I-if I may,.Headmaster, I have a student, a seventh year with high marks in the subject, who might be interested.". Landers said. "She's just outside actually." 

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Is that so? Well I'll be certain to speak with her. Send her in please". 

A slightly heavy set young witch walked in nervously. 

"This is Danelle Haze, of Pukwudgie house,and she was one of the students who have been sitting in on History of Magic lessons out of interest."

\-----

As Christmas break got closer some classes lightened their workload, many,m to Heather's dismay many did not.  She noticed many students approaching others trying to pluck up the courage to ask them to the dance. Ron Weasley got flat rejected by Fleur Delecour.  Neville was rumored to be taking a student called "Loony Lovegood" much to the amusement of Malfoy and his cronies. Heather found her opinion of Dahlia sank even lower as she giggled cruelly about Neville going with "the craziest student in Ravenclaw".

Ramona and Astoria both glared at her along with Heather until Dahlia met her gaze and glared back. 

Monte still couldn't be pried away from Kerstein's side except for lessons. He continued to look sickly and head over heels with the creepy Durmstrang student. Snape hadn't seemed to do anything about the problem.  Gil and Harper seemed a bit more miserable without their friend. But all Monte seemed to care about was Kerstein. The Durmstrang student had most definitely done something to him, Heather thought.  

Soon classes were out and all of fourth year and most if not all of the upper years stayed for the holidays.  Heather wouldn't have bothered going home even if there was no ball. Being snubbed and ignored for a reason by your peers was still better than being snubbed by your own parents for merely existing. At Christmas no less.   

And she hated to explain to them why she was now hearing a violent voice in her head that spoke of only food and killing. She would never use another Unforgivable as long as she lived. 

\------

_ Heather felt herself being shaken awake early on Christmas morning.  She yawned and reached for her glasses taking a peak at the clock.   _

_ "It's 7 in the morning, Chase" she said groggily, "Can't you wait an hour?".  Heather had the feeling Chase had been awake to watch their parents leave. Their parents always worked on Christmas, leaving early in the morning.  Heather imagined most people would want a break but for some reason her parents weren't one of them.   _

_ "Course not,  _ **_Christmas_ ** _!" Chase said, awake and bubbly as ever.   _

_ Heather sighed and pulled herself up. She knew her sister would beg until she did.  _

_ "You sure you want to do this now? When it's over, it will be over." She said _

_ Chase nodded. "it will take a while. Wait til you see the tree".  _

_ Chase led Heather out into the living room.  Their modest tree, which had a modest amount of ornaments that their parents had bought out of obligation, was absolutely surrounded by piles of presents. If a person looked at it they would only see the upper half.  Heather felt her exhaustion melt away to excitement. This was what she spent all of December waiting for.   _

_ The two blazed through unwrapping their gifts. Occasionally they would trade gifts as their parents had a habit of getting them things the other might be more interested in. The unwrapping lasted about two and a half hours as it usually did.  But they were some of the best two hours of the month.   _

\-----

Heather was awoken on Christmas morning by the chatter of her housemates and the vague feeling she'd heard her name- or something like it- called.  

"Heather wake up it's Christmas!" Ramona called joyfully. 

Heather sighed and woke up,reminded of Chase's insistent pestering and feeling an ache at the realization that this was their first time spending Christmas morning apart.  

"I'm up...I'm up" Heather mumbled, pulling herself out of bed.  

The Christmas tree at the foot of her four-poster bed was loaded with presents.  Some of them her parents' "please forgive me" gifts and some of them from others. Heather was surprised to find that Mrs. Weasley still apparently liked her enough to send her a sweater and some fudge. Heather was completely taken aback. 

"That's nice of her" Ramona said opening a present herself. 

"Yeah"

 Heather shook herself out of it and carefully set the sweater and tin of fudge aside. She eagerly moved on to the lumpy shoddily wrapped gift that had no sender attached. 

She opened it and a a silvery, fluid feeling fabric fell out onto her lap. A few people gasped and looked over at it. 

"Is that-" 

"No way"

"Heather...that's an invisibility cloak." Ramona said in awe.

Heather stood up holding it and unfurled the cloak. As she wrapped it around her a few people gave a yelp. When she looked down she realized why.  She was invisible! 

A note fell out of it as she wrapped herself in it. 

Heather took the cloak off and reached down to pick up the note. 

_ Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you.  _

_ Use it well. _

_  A Very Happy Christmas to you _

Heather blinked tears out of her eyes. This had been her father's? Her birth father's.   She wiped them away quickly and set the cloak right in her trunk and closed it before opening more presents. 

Her adoptive parents had given her quite a few things.  She unwrapped a huge makeup kit, a pair of shimmery purple platform boots, a bracelet making toy(what was she, ten?), nail painting supplies and a royal purple gown.  

Did someone tell them about the Yule Ball?

Ramona was fascinated by the bracelet maker and all its parts. 

"You can have it if you want. It's a toy for little girls" Heather said. 

"I bet I can do something with this...so many components to work with!". Heather imagined it would end up being some alchemy project and that was fine with her.  

She also got a gift from Chase, a book on advanced potions for 5th year. It brought a small smile to her face.  Chase knew her at least.  

From Hermione she got a book related to something they'd been discussing,magic history around the world.  

She got another present with no name attached, a magic pocket knife. 

"Oh I got a thing for you" Ramona said reaching under her bed.  She pulled out a bulky wrapped gift. "I've been talking to a girl in Ilvermorny who does alchemy in 4th year. It may seem strange but I'll explain it."

Heather unwrapped a book and a small case of Legos.  The book was called "Beginning Alchemy".

"Apparently making things out of Legos was how she started alchemy a-and it builds up to being able to make bigger and better things." Ramona said talking quickly and a bit nervously.  "I hoped you would like to learn something new. Even if it's a little...odd"

Heather smiled.  It was interesting. "Thank you. I  _ would _ be interested". 

Ramona sighed with relief.  "I was unsure if this approach would work…"

Heather laughed.  "My disappointment with my parents is that they don't put thought into things. You did"

She got up and put most of her gifts into her trunk. "I should go see Chase.  Thank you, again".

 

\------

Chase and Heather sat at a table together discussing what they got.  From the sounds of it,Chase got a few more things from friends she had made in her house.  It didn't bother Heather at all, she was glad to hear that Chase had so many friends.  

What did bother her is the news of what their adoptive parents got her.

The

**_Exact_ **

_ Same _

_ Things _ .

"Even the dress? Purple ballgown?" Heather asked.

"Yup-buuuuut. Heather listen,I've been talking with a girl who can do  _ amazing _ magic things with clothes.  I think I can get it fixed up how I like it.  I've been learning things from her. I can even do yours how you want...if -if you want."

Heather sighed "sure". 

"We can do each other up in our makeup for the ball!". 

"...sure". Heather would spend a great deal of the day with Chase, in her common room (with a fair few Hufflepuffs eyeing her suspiciously) transforming her purple gown into a stunning black sleeveless dress. Chase's dress was transformed into a ruffled pink dress with accents of orange and yellow and numerous rhinestones.

"I found a bedazzling charm in a magazine!". She explained.  

"So who are you going to the ball with?" Heather asked. Chase hesitated.

 "Promise not to laugh?"

"Chase you know I'd never make fun of you." Heather said. 

"......Ron Weasley" she admitted, "I know you're not fond of him"

"I'm not.  But it's your choice" Heather said, shrugging "I'm going with Ramona". 

"Oh that's nice." Heather looked over to Chase's present haul. Aside from their parents' mediocre gifts, she had gotten a sweater and mince pies from Mrs. Weasley, a package of strange pens and fancy comic paper with ink bottles, a set of fancy rose gold luster potions scales and supplies, a box of American sweets, loads of molds for...something, a stack of potions books, and a fake nail decor kit with tons of shimmery nail polish.

 "Dudley Evans?" Heather looked up at Chase in surprise. "My cousin goes here?". From what she remembered of her aunt and uncle's attitude to magic she couldn't imagine them sending their precious son at such a place full of magic.

"Oh yeah.  He was taken in by someone else.  We've been working on potions stuff together  is that okay?"

Heather blinked at her in surprise. "I don't care. You can be friends with who you want ,Chase.  You don't need my permission. I'm just surprised to see him here. What are those molds for?"

"For projects with my plastic potion. Ayako from Horned Serpent sent them to me.  She was the one who made the potion." 

"Oh.  Cool". 

"You want streaks in your hair? I got that from a magazine too!" Chase had gone at her own hair with rainbow colors at the ends. 

"Not really. People already think I'm an attention seeker. " Heather said.  

"Okay." Chase did her hair strand by strand then insisted on doing her nails. It wasn't the first time in her life she let her sister dress her up like this. Judging by the magic she could work on her dolls Heather trusted no else quite like her sister to make her look good for a dance.  Not that she went to any til now. 

\-----

The entrance hall was packed with students, all milling around waiting for eight o’clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another. Heather felt fortunate she was with someone from her own house.  

Ramona's brown hair was done in multiple spiral hair ornaments including one thick one on back and she wore a lovely lavender and silver ballgown with silver colored gloves that had amethyst jewels spiraling down to the wrists. Heather noticed as the two of them walked through, Draco Malfoy stared wordlessly at her until he got a slap from Pansy Parkinson.   

The oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied by Hermione, looking absolutely stunning.  

 Over their heads, an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights — meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes that had been conjured there, and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer.

Her hair was twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She was wearing robes made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself differently, more confidently.

"Wow she really knows how to look fantastic when she wants to" Ramona commented. She added quickly at Heather's glance. "Not that she normally looks bad...but just...wow. What a difference."

Heather tried not to glance too long at her, though it was difficult. 

She and Ramona moved along in the crowd watching as the Beauxbatons and Ilvermorny students entered.  Ginny entered in a pink and sea green dress with a lacy choker and found Blaise D'Aubert among the Thunderbirds. 

He wore a waistcoat and kerchief with breeches looking like one of the American founding fathers with his fiery hair tied back in a neat ponytail. In fact most of the Ilvermorny boys looked like that in some way.  If Heather didn't know any better she'd have thought a bunch of American colonists were invading Hogwarts.  

Quite a few of the girls wore slightly more modern dresses. Though some wore Victorian ball gowns that made them look like a bunch of Scarlett O'Haras.  

Finally the doors opened and people rushed in as fast as they were allowed. 

The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.

At the High Table, Dumbledore looked pleased, while Karkaroff wore an ugly expression as he looked at Hermione and Krum.  Instead of Crouch, who had lost everything when it came out the Death Eater at Hogwarts was his son, Percy Weasley sat at a table near the High Table in navy blue dress robes and an unbearable look of smugness.  With him were done Ministry wizards and a witch that looked quite like a toad in frilly pink robes. 

She looked at Headmaster Fontaine and the Ilvermorny heads of houses rather like Krum looked at Hermione.  Then she turned to see Heather and a spasm of fury passed her features followed by a forced smile. Percy looked over to her and looked panicked and utterly furious.  

"What are you doing?". Percy hissed at Heather as she passed. 

"Attending the Yule Ball with my date.  Perhaps you should have gotten one of your own." She and Ramona walked away as Percy,'s face and ears turned red.  

"Nice one" Ramona said smiling. 

"Thanks" They sat down at one of the tables a bit near the headmasters. Chase, in her pink dress and gold nails with gold high heeled boots, pulled Ron over. He was wearing some appalling secondhand dress robes with frayed sleeves.  Chase didn't seem to care.

Ron reluctantly sat down clearly going along for Chase's sake. 

Hermione brought Krum over and sat down. Ron still stared at her almost as if he had seen her for the first time.  

There was no food as yet on the glittering golden plates, but small menus were lying in front of each of them. Heather picked hers up uncertainly and looked around — there were no waiters. Dumbledore, however, looked carefully down at his own menu, then said very clearly to his plate, “Pork chops!” And pork chops appeared.

Getting the idea, other people started placing their orders too.  

"Ooh that's neat, we need some of these plates at home," she said smiling widely. "Mum and Dad would love them"

"Yeah they sure would" Heather said, holding back an ungraceful snort.   

Ginny Weasley and her date joined the table as well. 

"Does this school always go all out this much for Christmas or is it just for the ball?" Chase asked.

"What do you mean go all out.  We decorate and have a feast " Ron said. 

"That's way more than our parents do" Heather said "we get a Christmas tree , put a few ornaments on it and put presents under it"

"Damn really?" Blaise asked raising his eyebrows. "Miz Hester is a damn scrooge and even she does more than that" 

"They also work on Christmas, so my parents have Miss Hester beat." Chase said. 

"What's a Scrooge?" Ron asked.

"Yes, vat is a Scrooge?" Krum added. 

"It's a reference to a story about a greedy man who hated the holidays and was visited by three ghosts to warn him to change his ways"  Heather said. "It's really well known, among muggles that is"

"Where ah'm from even magic folk know" Blaise said. 

"Ah ve do not haff muggle literature" Krum said. He didn't say it disdainfully but rather a matter of fact.  "Headmaster Karkaroff considers it dangerous" 

Hermione looked surprised an uneasy. Krum continued. "I do not understand vhy personally.  It sounds ...interesting" He continued talking to Hermione about Durmstrang. 

 “Now, now, Viktor!” said Karkaroff with a laugh that didn’t reach his cold eyes, “don’t go giving away anything else, now, or your charming friend will know exactly where to find us!” 

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. “Igor, all this secrecy . . . one would almost think you didn’t want visitors.”

 “Well, Dumbledore,” said Karkaroff, displaying his ugly yellowing teeth to their fullest extent, “we are all protective of our private domains, are we not? Do we not jealously guard the halls of learning that have been entrusted to us? Are we not right to be proud that we alone know our school’s secrets, and right to protect them?”

It was very clear that Karkaroff did not exactly approve of Hermione. 

"You seem a bit bothered by your students' choice of date, Igor.  Though I cannot understand why. I'm told she has the highest grades in her year" Headmaster Fontaine spoke rather conversationally but eyed Karkaroff with suspicion. 

Karkaroff glared at the American and looked for a moment like he was going to say something nasty. But he forced a smile. "Why of course not, Albert. I don't know what would give you that impression!" 

"Agilbert.  But you were quite close."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "We all have our differences when it comes to running our schools."

"Clearly". Headmaster Fontaine said curtly. 

"I….don't think some of our headmasters like each other" Chase said. 

"It seems not." 

Blaise was about to say something looking leery at Krum. He yelped and Heather could only guess that Ginny had stepped on his foot. She said quickly. "Blaise, what is your school like?"

"Oh! Weeell…. We got a big ole hall with the statutes of our four house mascots.  An' on the floor is the Gordian Knot " he held up the pin from inside his waistcoat.  "Kids stand in the middle of the Knot and the statute claims them" Blaise said "and we have actual Pukwudgies helping out the school .  They're ornery fellas but helpful. Covered in quills. You don't take 'em for granted er they'll kick yer ass...or ….tell ya off real good." 

Ginny sighed but smiled as Blaise spoke through swallowing his food. 

"And how do you regulate the purity of the students" Karkaroff asked looking over Blaise critically. "Where do you come from, boy?". 

Blaise went still, the color fading from his face.  

"We don't concern ourselves with where our students come from. We just teach students who want to learn" Fontaine said. "You don't have to answer that, Blaise" 

"Right.  ". Blaise went back to eating his food.

"I see…..".

"I must ask you not to harass my students, Igor." Fontaine said evenly. 

"I was raised by muggles" Heather said. "Anything  _ wrong  _ with that?"

Karkaroff said nothing but looked her over as well as Chase, who was too busy listening to Ron about how his family celebrated Christmas.  It was not a nice look either.

\-----

Dudley Evans sat with his date, Melodie LeRousse,  girl from Beauxbatons who was eagerly telling him about her school. It sounded quite a bit different from Hogwarts.  

"We do not 'ave 'ouses.  Beauxbatons does not believe in dividing ze students. We 'ave a dormitory building for boys and for girls." She explained. "We 'ave classes spread out upon the ground and a river crossing on ze grounds.  Zere are stables for ze 'orses-"

"You mind?" Two Ilvermorny wizards approached the table. "We ..were booted from our other table.". Dudley recognized one as Chance Beauragard, the Pukwudgie head boy.  His date was a wizard from Horned Serpent , a boy with orange red hair in a ponytail. 

"Sure" Dudley said.  

The two sat down with their menu and he continued listening to his date describe her classes. 

"It ees very traditional here though, I find it interesting!". She said.  "We do not 'ave ghosts….do zey have eenteresting things to say?"

"Sometimes.  I like to listen to the Friar talk about his monastery" Dudley said. "I only wish the history of magic teacher made things that interesting". He found history fascinating when a proper teacher was teaching it. 

"I zink zat ghosts have a lot to teach us about ze past" she nodded.  "We 'ave many classes about history not just one"

As time went on his date noticed Fleur Delecour loudly talking about how Beauxbatons was run better. "Ooooh she is so  _ rude _ " she bristled.  "I do not know why she came if she dislikes it so much.  I zink it is an honor to be invited at anozzer school of magic" 

Dudley watched Roger Davies absently nodding with everything she said. "her date sure seems to agree with her." 

"Only because she is pretty!  She turns the brains of wizards to mush.". 

"Not all of themmmm" Chance said teasingly. 

"We got Veela here an' there in the States" His redheaded date said smirking "after a few brushes with 'em you know how to deal." 

"I suppose if you're not..erm.. into witches Veela don't have an effect" Dudley said thoughtfully.

"Oh I am." Chance said.

"He's into  _ everyone _ " his date said with a chuckle. 

"I am...within ... some perimeters. Of course." Chance said waving his hand. "Nobody younger than like….maybe two years below me." He said "that's my rule"

"Eet is quite bold of you, going togezzer with zis crowd"  Melodie said "no offense"

"Of course! We're American,  _ bold is in our blood _ !" Chance said.

Melodie giggled slightly. "I find it ...admirable actually".  She looked to Dudley "do you?"

"Oh yeah.  It's nice to see someone challenging some of these stuffed shirts." He said. "I swear the Durmstrang headmaster has been glaring at Krum's date. He's not even  _ trying _ to hide it." 

"And speaking of not trying to hide anything…" Chance looked over to Kerstein, "is that guy with a  _ kid _ ?"

"He looks about our age" Dudley said looking over. "Wonder what he's doing with someone so much older?"" 

"Nothing good" Chance said grimly, getting up. 

\-------

Chance approached the Durmstrang student with fury raging in him. He had to hold back from getting out his wand as he tapped on the students' shoulder.

"I'm excuse me but do you know how old your date is?!" He demanded.  

Kerstein raised a brow. "'He is fourteen. He wished to go to the Yule Ball. So I decided to let him accompany me"

"Right" Chance said, disbelieving.  "Like you don't have people your own age you could have brought."

"In case you haven't noticed I am quite a pariah at my school.  Many are jealous of my skill"

"Right.  Even so there's a ton of seventh years from other schools.  I don't think it's  _ jealousy _ that people don't wanna go with you, sicko."

"Can you leave us alone?" The younger date complained. 

"Yes, leave us.  You have a filthy mind." Kerstein walked away leaving Chance even angrier.  Typical gaslighting slimeball. He knew these types. His godmother had been one and pulled mind games when he questioned her demands. 

"Well I know you do too.". He muttered to himself as he returned to his table.

\------

Before long the meal was over and everyone was out on the dance floor.  An American singer called Witch Hazel was playing live. Before that a German wizarding group had played.  Heather kept her eye on Hermione and Krum as she danced, though not too closely as to upset Ramona.  

"So...you have rubbish parents too?"

"You-"

"Yeah mine are too busy with impressing important wizards and witches in the Ministry. "

"Sounds like mine except you know…"

"Muggle?"

"Yeah"

"They had that pink toad lady over this past summer, the one there at the guest table.  Most unpleasant meal I'd ever had" 

"I'd imagine" Heather could feel the self importance dripping off her. "She isn't very happy with us is she?"

“Oh she despises the gays.  And part humans too, werewolves, half magical beings. This is a woman who wastes her power persecuting merfolk. “ Ramona said, rolling her eyes. Sometime later Heather saw the woman forcing out an Ilvermorny girl with rosy skin and shimmering strawberry blonde hair and her Beauxbatons date, much to the protest of the Ilvermorny teachers.  Dumbledore cleared his throat and sternly reminded the woman- Umbridge, she was called- that she was a guest in the castle. 

“What a piece of work.” .   

“She is” Heather got the unpleasant feeling that she would have to deal with this woman before long.  

\-----

Sometime later Kerstein led Monte out of the grand hall, outside.  He strode toward the grand ship on the lake. 

"I have done something for you, now I must ask something of you. I have been practicing some spells and I must show them to you. But I require your silence". He said, boarding the ship.

"Yes of course!" Monte said.  He gasped at the inside of it.  It was like perhaps what a luxury cruise for wizards would look like. The dining area was like that of a fine 5-star hotel.  Velvet curtains of deep red.  

And what must have been hundreds of cabin rooms for students.  Kerstein led Monte to his cabin room and Monte barely noticed as he shut the door and locked it, drawing his wand. Due to the number of spells cast on the walls of the cabin room, and perhaps the fact that nobody was near, nobody heard Monte's screams after. 

 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] Children in Towers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19784473) by [istie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/istie/pseuds/istie)




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